Definition of Family
by bibliophile030
Summary: Raven Walker faced tragedy when he was just a child. Then he ran. Ran until a certain angry orphan found him and invited him to the circus where he lived. Many years later, the two brothers enter the Black Order. But who is Raven Walker really? One Walker was cursed, but the other was just born cursed. After all, what kind of human has bright yellow eyes in the first place?
1. The Sun Sets

The Sun Sets

* * *

A/N: Don't know if anyone would want to read this. I kind of just came up with this concept. I have about 14,000 words written for it, but I want to see what people think of it before I consider really investing time into it. Please tell me what you think so far. Thank you for reading the first chapter

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks /

*sounds, actions*

Formal attack names "Akuma (in their true forms) speech"

[Time passing]

* * *

\- The Black Order -

* * *

On top of desolate mountain looms a black tower. A full moon shines down on it. Suddenly, a shadow flits through the sky, a bird-like form illuminated against the pale face. The figure silently soars down, dropping a much larger form just before landing.

The taller figure leans over the edge of the cliff.

"That would not have been a pleasant climb," he remarks. "Are you okay, Raven?" The winged form inclines its head.

Raven grins cheerfully at Allen's concerned look. The young man stood at 5'5''. The young man wears a simple black vest and pants. A black shawl drapes over the man's shoulders, slightly parted against the black wings emerging from the shoulders. A simple white mask hides everything above the mouth from view. Silvery white hair frames the face while curly blue-black hair with purple highlights is held back by a ribbon. Moonlight flashes silver against a small raven pendant around the exorcist's neck.

"A little thing like you? Not a problem." The wings shrink from their 14 feet span to just 2 feet, disappearing underneath the shawl. "You know, I'm a whole lot stronger than I look, big brother."

The other young man has a shock of white hair uncovered and a much more formal dress. His face is marred by a crimson scar beginning with an upside star above the left eye and ending along the cheek in a slightly jagged line crossed by another line just below the eye.

They had traveled quite a ways, but the two Walker brothers have finally arrived at the Black Order Headquarters. Allen nudges his foster brother with his elbow.

"Not little. I'm two year older and taller!" scowled the scarred boy in good humor. Raven just laughed. Allen was taller by an inch, perhaps. Raven looks over in the direction of the tower.

"Wow. This place has an intimidating feel to it, don't you think so?"

"Yeah," agreed Allen, sweat dropping a bit.

The two begin to walk toward the gates. Timcanpy, their master's golem, flutters by them.

From the corner of his eye, Raven spots a black golem. _Hmm, must be part of their surveillance._

The gates are ridiculously large and have some sort of face carved in-between them.

They stopped, neither sure of what to do. Allen decided the more direct approach. He turned around and began to speak.

"Hello? My brother and I were sent by General Cross Marian. I'm Allen Walker. I have some things to discuss with the black priests."

"Same with me, I'm Raven Walker," added the younger boy.

"The two of you must be examined by the gatekeeper behind you" calls out a voice from seemingly nowhere.

"Hi, nice to meet you." _I kind of wish I was more like Allen_ , thought Raven as his brother boldly greets the face.

The face in the wall suddenly lunges at them. Raven nearly took a step back at the sudden movement. Light shoots from its eyes as it performs an "x-ray examination" to determine their humanity. Unfortunately, the gatekeeper found them…wanting.

"THESE GUYS ARE OUTTA HERE! THEY'RE NO GOOD! ONE HAS A CURSED PENTACLE ON HIS FOREHEAD, AND THE OTHER ONE BEARS ONE ON EACH OF HIS PALMS! Out, OUT! Since the mark of an akuma is a pentacle, these people must be friends of the Earl of the Millennium!"

Both exorcists nervously sweat.

"Ummm, I think we have a bit of a misund-" Raven's eyes flit to above them where he can detect a wave of killing intent. Someone had landed on top of the gates.

The next thing he knows, some sort of samurai guy nearly slices Allen in two. His sword even rips a tear through Allen's anti-akuma weapon.

"Allen!" Raven hisses. Wings once more flare out from under his shawl. A battle breaks out despite Allen and his pleas.

The sword activates. Raven silently scolds Allen as he deactivates his own weapon. He darts in between the two, wings stopping the blade inches from Allen's face.

"Quit it, already! We are not your enemies," snaps Raven.

"You should have received a letter of recommendation from Master Cross!" adds Allen.

* * *

Several intense minutes pass. Finally, they're let into the tower.

Raven appreciated their new guide a lot better than the security detail with attitude named Kanda. Lenalee Lee, a green-haired girl with purple eyes, greeted them cheerfully (and not with a sword). Raven mentally made a note to get back at the samurai later. He had an idea (or six).

Supervisor Komui was a nice guy. Maybe a little nutty, but nice enough. Raven flinched and had several thoughts on running off when Komui performed surgery to repair the large crack running down Allen's hand. The giant drill was a _tad_ daunting. Then the man turned to him.

"Raven Walker? Nice to meet you. Are you his younger brother?"

Raven gives a tentative smile, "Yes, sir."

"Good, good. I don't think I've met too many siblings who were exorcists" commented Komui. "Now, I do believe I saw several feathers torn from those wings. May I see your anti-akuma weapon?"

"Sure. Will Night Soul be okay?"

They find out a few things about his anti-akuma weapon. One, it's a parasitic-type since the wings are actually a part of his body. Two, standard anesthesia has little effect on Raven, or disastrous effects.

/ "OOOOOOWWWW! IT BURNS!" /

* * *

Komui finally discovered a combination of herbs to numb his wings, but the delicate structure of his tiny raven wings require finer and smaller tools (thank God for that, Raven did not forget the horrible racket Allen made earlier).

Then they go down to have their anti-akuma weapons checked over. Raven never suspected they had a giant spectral lady down this deep. Her tentacles reached down and plucked Allen off the ground.

Komui watched from the stands. Most accommodators and potential accommodators had this kind of reaction when meeting the ancient keeper of the Innocence. Strangely, the newest apostle's younger brother only silently stood there. Komui would have thought he would be panicking until he saw him lower mask. White pentacles form a ring within startlingly yellow irises. The eyes seem to glow faintly. On the left side of his face, the younger exorcist has the black outline of a raven curled against each eye. _Ah, yes. Young Raven did mention about his natural "gift" maybe being linked to his unusual features. Pentacles in his palms, black birds by his eyes, and eyes as bright as a cat's. I don't blame him for concealing them._

"Allen, calm down before you hurt yourself! She's has an anti-akuma weapon – well, kind of. Alongside a bunch of others, but she doesn't have any ill intentions!"

Allen hesitated, but slowly deactivated his Innocence. Raven draws his mask back down, satisfied. Komui notes everything down but says nothing.

"17%...33…45…59…75…83%! You're maximum synchronization percentage with your weapon is 83%," she whispered.

"Synchronization percentage?"

"To fully operate your anti-akuma weapon, you need a high enough synchronization rate. It measures the compatibility between the accommodator and the Innocence. The lower the number, the harder it is to activate the weapon, and too low of a number would endanger the life of the exorcist." Hevlaska gently sat the young man down. "I am sorry to startle you. I was trying to get to know your Innocence."

Allen looks in askance, but Hevlaska only continues. "Also, in the dark future, your Innocence will one day form a great "Time Destroyer." That is what I have felt for that is my power."

Raven eyes widened underneath his mask. "Time Destroyer" _How ominous._

*Clap, clap*. Raven turned to Komui who had finally deigned to speak up.

"Wow~ Hevlaska's predictions are usually right, you know. A "Time Destroyer," huh? I think we can expect excellent things from you then. "

Allen attempted to punch the supervisor, making an impressive dent into his clipboard.

"Allen!" reprimands the younger boy. Hevlaska also goes to lift the other accommodator up. Raven does not struggle even when the weird touches and squirming sensation incited a single shudder to run through his body.

"…10%...23…39…52…74…87…95. Your synchro rate is 95%. When all hope seems lost, you will unleash an "Unmaker of Fate"."

Allen slaps a hand on Raven's back. "Wow, you have an even higher rate than me!" complimented whitenette.

"Amazing," lauds Komui. "A little more, and you will reach Critical Point."

"Critical Point?"

"100% synchronization. All generals such as your master have broken past that point and received a higher level of power as a result. The two of you have great expectations ahead of you, especially after what the two of you told me about your abilities. A curse to let you see the souls of the akuma, and your gift of sight and psychometry which lets you see the "truths" of this world. Fascinating."

The man went on to explain the history of the war with the Millennium Earl, the Innocence and the Cube, and the founding of the Black Order.

Raven and Allen got rooms next to each other. They were a bit haggard, but the two have seen worse accommodations. Raven leaned against the wall and peered out the window. Behind him, a painting hung with a cloaked figure standing at a crossroad.

* * *

\- First Morning –

* * *

Raven finished up his morning exercises and walked over to his brother's room. As he thought, his brother performing his own exercises – namely pushups while balancing on a chair set on a single leg.

"Hurry up and finish. The sun's up and breakfast is awaiting~"

Allen perked up at the last part. Raven turned toward the opened door, as if he was about to leave without him.

"Hey! Please, wait for me, Raven!"

The younger boy hid a smile. _Got ya._

Raven made sure to take the lead. Knowing Allen, the older teen would just end up wandering the halls. Then again, he might make it there himself if he followed his stomach.

* * *

Behind an open window stood a dark man with cornrow styled hair and two ponytails.

"Oh? New recruits? Aren't the two of you cute?!"

*Sweat drop*

"Nice to meet you…" greeted Allen.

"Good morning."

"So precious! So, darlings, what would you want to eat? I can make practically anything!"

Raven tilted his head in interest. "…Anything?"

Allen gave an entire monologue of different foods. Raven nearly laughed at the sweat drops this invoked. He just said to the chef, Jerry, to make the same for himself.

"Hehe," chuckled Raven apologetically, "sorry about our orders. Apparently, parasitic-types like ourselves eat quite a bit. I'm Raven Walker, and this is my younger brother Allen."

A look of comprehension dawned on the chef's face. "Aha! That would explain things. Well, don't hesitate to ask for something different to eat than your brother. I'll have them out in a jiffy, so just go, and sit yourselves down."

Suddenly shouting drew the brothers' attention to the dining area.

The longhaired girly boy from last night had a much large man held up in the air. Allen was first to respond.

"Enough," he said to…Kanda, was it? "I am sorry to step in on something that has nothing to do with myself, but there are better ways to resolve this than fighting."

Raven didn't like that cold look in Kanda's eyes.

"Step back, Moyashi, if you don't want to get hurt."

"Moyash…I'm Allen!" corrected the whitenette. Raven went to stand next to his brother.

"And I'm Raven, pleasure to see you once more, Kanda."

The blue haired teen took one look at Raven and said, "Shut it, Naichingeru."

A tick mark developed on Raven's forehead. "Pardon? It's RAVEN! Are you implying something by calling me a nightingale?!"

"Che, you're shorter than the Moyashi, but at least you have a more pleasant voice. Maybe if either of you last more than a month, I'll bother to remember your names. Lots of people die here, just like those guys there."

Allen tightened his grip on Kanda's wrist. "As I said before, that is not a nice thing to say."

Kanda's glare tried to chill them to the bone. "The two of you are going to die soon. That's why I hate your type."

"Well, thank you," retorted Allen. Raven's eyebrows arched high. _Ahaha, this is starting to escalate._ Before Raven could say something, one of the people from the Science Division yelled for the three of them.

* * *

 _BWAHAHA._ Raven could barely suppress his laughter after Reever woke Komui up by whispering to him about Lenalee's upcoming nuptial. _Two words: Sister-complex._

"Okay. Time is of the essence!"

"So why were you sleeping," muttered the disgruntled Science Division member.

Komui ignored the comment. "I'll give you the summary, then you guys got to go. Read the reports on the way there. The three of you are going as a team."

And no one was happy about that.

"What? Why do I have to go with the Moyashi and Naichingeru?!"

"No way is this a good idea," agreed Raven. Allen and Kanda were already at each other's throats.

"Hmm, aren't you guys getting along yet? Regardless, I will brook no arguments. The Innocence is in Southern Italy, but the finders report akuma activity in the vicinity. The mission objectives are to destroy the enemy and secure the Innocence."

His gaze darted back and forth between his simmering partners. Raven sighed. _Hope this doesn't reflect how the rest of the mission will play out._


	2. Shadows at Dusk

Shadows at Dusk

* * *

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

 **"Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

[Time passing]

* * *

\- Mission Start -

* * *

"Think of it this way, Allen, yours fit you much better than mine."

The Black Order supplied the two newest exorcists some coats. They said they customize some for the two later, but for right now, Allen and Raven would deal with the ones they have. Someone kindly thought of Raven's needs and cut off a section along the back which his shawl covered. But the bottom still hung right over his feet.

The three exorcists had a boat awaiting them in the underwater canals of the Order. A familiar golden ball shot over to Allen.

"Timcanpy! There you are!"

"I had him. He can project the past of people he has been with. I watched the adventures of the two of you. Which reminds me, we need to get a golem for Raven, too."

"No need." Raven whistled. Something darted out from the shadows to wrap around his arm. The golem looked like a white two-foot snake but had black crescent-shaped markings with a cross in between them instead of eyes. A pair of feathery black wings nestled along its length. Raven presented his companion with a proud smile.

"This is Shade." Suddenly, the snake golem disappeared from view. Raven laughed at Komui's startled look.

"Amazing," he praised. "Did you build this? I don't think this is Cross's style."

"Yep. I had a habit of spending a lot of my free time in any libraries we happen to pass by. I can even manage to read and write a few different languages. All my education pretty much came from similar trips. Master Cross certainly wouldn't be teaching us these things. I took to raiding the leftover machine parts from various factories and the like to make Shade. A little bit of esoteric knowledge, and here we have my golem's disappearing act. Shade can sneak past akumas fairly well, but he does have some combat ability and a few other special features. I even caught Master messing with him once or twice. I swear the little guy gets a little bit bigger every year."

"Hurry up and get on board, Nachingeru," warned Kanda.

"And I think I told you, I am RAVEN, not a nightingale."

* * *

\- Ghost of Mater -

* * *

After a heart-racing leap onto a train - / "Why can't I just fly Allen and I over there, it would be ten times safer?! If you guys want to risk life and limb, that's fine with me!" / - the three exorcists and their finder Toma were on their way to Mater. A ghost was said to inhabit the city, kidnapping lost children. Kanda explained condescendingly that the original Innocence sunk to the bottom of the sea since the time of Noah, but over time, it broke and spread across the earth, taking on many forms and shapes. Innocence often coincided with the appearance of strange occurrences and illusions. Thus, the legend of the ghost of Mater. The true identity of the ghost, as according to Toma, was of a doll.

Mater, the city forsaken by God. Its citizens used lost technology to create amazing dolls that sung and danced. Eventually, though, the city's people move away. Abandoned for 500 years, yet there remained one doll.

After a few minutes of discussion, the group agreed to let Raven scout ahead, since he could fly much faster than the others could run.

"Night Soul, activate!" Black and white wings with green crosses at the tips spread out behind him.

The scene was horrible. Finders' bodies laid strewn where ash didn't mark their deaths. Several ball-shaped akuma fired on a glowing cube two figures cowered. The finders have given up their lives to protect the last survivors of Mater. Raven wasted not a moment more of time.

" **Crescent Wind!"** He scythed his black and white wings, sending several greenish-white air blades into the akumas. The normal ones fell, but the odd jester-looking one dodged out of the way.

" **And who are you?"** sneered the akuma. **"My, my, what power you have, little birdy. I will enjoy tearing you into two, just like your fellow humans here!"** The creature lunged at him, but Raven easily dodged out of the way. He narrowly dodged a rain of bullets as more akuma arrived. The clown akuma tried to strike Raven with his back turned, but the guy didn't account for the bone-white claw nearly sundering it.

" **Ah, some more people in black coats,"** noted the akuma with a smile. It looked down at its torn hand where Allen's Innocence grappled with it. **"I see. This is why you're so much stronger than those palely dressed ones. The two of you are exorcists."**

"Be careful Allen, this is a level 2, if my readings are accurate!"

"Readings? Where would you read about akuma?"

"The library. Couldn't sleep, so I read until late last night."

The akuma laughed. **"Oho, someone did do his studying. He's correct, I killed enough to evolve into a level 2 akuma. I'm leagues above level 1s.** "

Raven winced at the sight of the akuma's soul. Like Allen's cursed left eye, his own had the natural power to see the souls of akuma – among other things. The normally chained and decaying human soul of the akuma was worse at level 2. It began to curl up, and bandages slowly crawled their way up the wasted body. A surge of Innocence energy drew the winged exorcist to the air above him.

"Mugen. **Return of the Apocalyse! First Illusion – Netherworld Insects!"** A swarm of beast insects cut through the remaining akuma and nearly sawed through Raven.

"Kanda! Watch where you slice!"

"Quit chattering, Naichingeru! Why don't you go help the Moyashi?"

Raven sent the samurai exorcist a livid look but complied. He arrived in time to spy a duplicate Allen rise from the sand behind his brother. The winged exorcist snarled when the fake Allen tore through his brother.

A black and white blur plunged just as the akuma struck once more.

Two exorcists plowed through the walls of several buildings.

"Kaaa, you okay there, Allen?" Raven opened his wings which blocked most of the damage from being blasted through concrete, brick, and mortar.

"Yes, I…GAaah!"

Raven snapped to his feet. "What?"

Allen had an aghast look. "My Innocence got damaged again."

Raven repressed the urge to sock his brother. "Yes, and...? My own wings are a bit banged up, too, you know."

Allen had tears trailing down. "Komui going to have to repair it again!" he lamented. "You don't understand! You're in the clear, but he'll use that drill on me!"

*Crack. Crack. CRACK*.

Both exorcists fell down below the city.

* * *

"There you are," sighed Raven as he fluttered silently down from another hole.

He told Allen earlier to go and find Kanda since Shade reported odd movements from the akuma. His eyes would track the shining traces left by the moving Innocence. Deep below the city, he could see the shining green light emitting from the center of the doll. The other one, a disfigured old man, had the faint glow of a human, one flickering with its last spark of life.

He watched, a silent observer, as the doll began to sing. _An aria. The song is haunting in its beauty and sadness._ Allen broke in a little while later.

"Allen! A bit late, aren't you?" remarked Raven dryly.

Allen eyed the two - the human and his doll. "You're the doll, aren't you?"

The doll responded intensely. She actually lifted one of the huge stone pillars and nearly bashed Allen and him to pieces. Raven took to the air and slashed the nearby pillars to pieces while Allen took care of the doll's improvised weapon.

"Okay, now that you have less things to bash our heads in with…"

"Why don't you tell us what's wrong," finished Allen.

The doll Lala told Guzoro and her story. Raven and Allen exchanged identical looks of understanding.

"NO!" Kanda finally had made it down to the lower levels. "Are you idiots really considering this? We cannot risk the Innocence. Our job is to find and secure the Innocence. Hurry up and take the doll's heart, already!" seethed the injured exorcist.

Kanda threw Allen his exorcist coat. "That coat was not meant to be a pillow for the wounded. It's the uniform of an exorcist."

Allen walked past Kanda. "If I stood as the sacrifice, will it be enough then?" he inquired softly. "I will protect them and their final wish. Until then, I cannot take the Innocence from this doll!"

Raven joined in, voice steady and quiet. "All the level 1s have been destroyed. We take out the last level 2, and waiting for Guzuro's death would be safe enough I would think."

Allen nodded in agreement. "What is the point of winning this war if we leave an endless trail of nothing but sacrifices?"

Kanda's response was predictable. Raven rubbed his bruised cheek.

"Che, how pathetic. To sacrifice yourselves for some pitiful strangers… Does nothing in this world matter to you?!" screamed Kanda at the two.

The older exorcist smiled forlornly. "We did have someone. He was lost long ago…"

"We don't fight towards a great purpose. My only desire is to prevent tragedies like this. That is all. I am but a small human. My heart moves for what is in front of my eyes, not for the needs of the world. I cannot just abandon something what lies right in front of me. I want to protect everything I can!" defended Allen.

Raven laughed. "I suppose the same can be said of me. I lost my father and mother when I so very young. I lived a hollowed life until I met my family in Allen and our foster father. I cannot change the past, nor can I forget it, but I will do something about the present. I have no grand designs. I only want to protect what I consider my family, and to help other families avoid the tragedy mine went through." Raven snapped his wings open suddenly.

" **Silver Guardian!"** Once more, Raven's wings shone like moonlight. He blocked the incoming spear, but the force knocked exorcist, doll, and human to the other side of the cavern.

" **How did you know I was there? No matter. I will retrieve the Innocence!"** _Guzuro._ A large section of rubble toppled over three. With a flap of his wings, he managed to dislodge it, but it was too late. The human's life force dwindled even faster.

"Lala…"

The akuma was on them! Raven's wings gleamed metallic. He shielded the two, but the akuma's barrage of attacks was beginning to crack through. Then, the akuma feinted. *Crash*! The jester slammed Raven to the side.

"Lala!" groaned the elderly human. The akuma had ripped her Innocence out.

"You…" raged the white haired exorcist. _Allen..._ The white mask had finally cracked apart to reveal golden eyes with white crosses. The green energy of Allen's Innocence contorted as his anger boiled over.

No longer a claw, a cannon took the place of Allen's left arm. Glowing sticks shot out in an attempt to impale the akuma. But he shifted to sand in time. The glutton swallowed Allen, but his younger brother tore through the sand monster with a green saber.

Raven stumbled back to his feet. He walked over to the Innocence and tossed it over to Guzoro who had crawled over to Lala's stilled form. He turned back to the ensuing battle. Allen had cornered the clown, but he had reached his limit.

" **HAHA, hold still, exorcist!"**

Kanda shot up and blocked the attack while Raven launched himself above the akuma. For a moment, he hovered in place, his yellow eyes narrowed in anger.

"You're going to regret what you did. **Dark Skies: Eclipse!"** Feathers swept down upon the akuma, black shadows covering the white tips.

" **Aaaah! Who turned out the lights?!"** it screamed.

"Now, Allen!"

"Innocence, activate! Scatter!" The blinded akuma had no chance of escaping the shot.

Raven smiled. The inky purple of a dark matter burned away with the white light. He watched the soul depart in the flash. He allowed exhaustion to wash over him. He toppled over by where the doll and human laid. Guzuro was barely conscious, but Lala leaned over him and was singing a lullaby. The winged exorcist spared little mind to Allen who had dragged himself over, despite his injuries. Three days passed. Finally, the doll stopped singing.

* * *

\- Returning Home –

* * *

"Is there something on my face?" inquired Raven. Toma had been staring intently at him for a solid two minutes. He blinked, clearly unconscious of his rudeness.

"Oh, oh! So sorry Master Exorcist. Forgive me. It's just… I don't think I've ever seen anyone with such bright yellow eyes. They remind me of a cat's eyes," sputtered the embarrassed man. Raven grinned.

"Don't worry, so much. Not the first time people have stared at them. Better my eyes than my wings, I always say."

"Wings?" asked Toma, confused. Raven's mouth twitched in to smile. He pulled his shawl aside a bit to reveal the stumpy 2 feet wingspan of his Innocence.

"Wings," he emphasized. "Weird, huh? They kind of just grew there. I used to get all sort of weird back pain until I met my first akuma. After a whole lot of sudden white-hot agony, I got a pair of wings on my back. Kind of a pain with clothing as you can imagine. All my clothes have to be cut low in the back, or else I rip them to pieces when I activate my anti-akuma weapon."

"Yeah, a real pain," chortled Allen. "Remember when you tried to fly that first time?"

"My Innocence was not fully activated," explained Raven. "They usually only would respond in a fight-or-flight scenario. I just kind of fell. Luckily, it by a big pile of hay. Made a mess and we _both_ had to clean it up because of "family obligation". "

* * *

Well, thing could have gone worse tonight. Supervisor Komui had decided to make a robot version of himself, Komlin II, but then exposure to coffee made it go psycho. It managed to knock out Lenalee before the two exorcists and finders returned. The Science Division could have stopped the robot had Komui not sabotaged their efforts. Next thing the two exorcists knew, the supervisor tried to sacrifice them to the robot in place of his sister.

Allen and he would have put a stop to the nonsense, too, if _someone idiot didn't tranq the two of them!_ Raven's wings seized in pain, and Komlin II pulled his older brother into itself. All would have been lost, but Lenalee finally woke up. Lenalee was the accommodator of Dark Boots. She freed Allen, saved the Science Division, and kicked Komlin II and Komui down below.

The place was trashed. Their rooms totaled. And, Allen and he had more injuries, but, all in all, it could have been worse. Everyone welcomed the two exorcists back. Even Hevlaska. Raven's uncovered eyes shone especially bright in the darkness of her chambers. He smiled as the little green glow of the Innocence joined the dozens of others in Hevlaska. Not a bad night at all.

* * *

\- OMAKE –

* * *

Feathered Vengeance

Yuu Kanda was not having a great day. He couldn't have soba because all of the essential ingredients have run out sometime late last night. And Jerry wouldn't spill who ate them. Then his hair ties kept breaking apart at the most inopportune moments.

/ *SNAP*!

Kanda's hair tie snapped, flinging right into Lenalee's tea, and splashing the dark liquid all over said victim's newest skirt. She refused to acknowledge Kanda's presence for the rest of the day. /

Kanda decided to let out his frustrations in the training room. After rounding up a few finders with decent swordsmanship, he began to unsheathe Mugen.

*Flash*

Little runes lit up around his sword's hilt. Some sort of gooey substance splashed over him.

*CLUNK*!

A bucket fell right over him, scattering feathers all over the samurai. The finders froze. The formerly scary swordsman now resembled some sort of rainbow chicken. The first person to start snickering earned a blade tip in his face.

"If anyone hears of this, I will tear you lot into pieces!" seethed Kanda in barely concealed rage. He left with a huff, mumbling about swords blades, oil, fire, and a whole of bloodshed.

From Raven's room, the two Walker brothers fell over in laughter. Timcanpy had faithfully received the transmitted video from Ravens' golem and projected for the amusement of the two brothers. Raven turned to Allen.

"If he thinks this day is bad, just you wait. I have a million more plans in store. Good thing Kanda can't trace any of this back to me. I have Shade sneak around to place my runes, and I have solid alibies for the two of us. What's next? Maybe Kanda in a dress?"

Both boys burst into laughter.

 _And to think, we have this all on video._


	3. Eternal Twilight

Eternal Twilight

* * *

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

 **"Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

[Time passing]

* * *

\- The Rewinding Town -

* * *

Raven fiddled with the bottom of his new mask. The really nice Science Division member Johnny had helpfully designed some clothes for him. His exorcist coat was a specially designed vest with a low back to accommodate both his wingspans. The new black shawl had an additional Rose Cross at the upper left side and a silver raven on the back. Johnny even gave him a new white mask similar to one worn by theater actors, and some gloves that could stand the wear and tear of the life of an exorcist better.

Lenalee, Allen, and he were sitting in a booth and discussing the strange woman whom the brothers rescued the other day.

"Allen, that is not a helpful picture," observed Raven with a click of his tongue. The younger Walker grabbed it and began to draw on the back of it. The picture gave a reasonable resemblance of the woman rather than the distorted caricature his brother drew.

"Sorry."

"Sorry? Allen, Raven! Why did you lose her?"

"The lady was quite fast," defended Raven. "I'm lucky I remember her face as well as I did."

"She probably is key to solving the mystery of the town," suggested Allen.

Lenalee sighed, exasperated. "That akuma did say "Innocence," right? At least we're on the right track."

They arrived to the rewinding town the other day. They tried to escape via the gate, the whole in the wall, even by Raven flying over the wall. They all ended up back into town. Well, Raven somehow flew up to only end up crashing down into the exorcists waiting below.

*Sssssss* Raven turned his head from the conversation between his fellow exorcists to the snake golem wrapped around his neck. His eyes, even behind the screen of the mask's eyeholes, could see through any illusion, so he could see Shade fine, albeit covered in a faintly grey aura. Shade pointed his head.

"Isn't that the woman?"

After Allen grabbed her as she made her escape through the window, they all sat down to talk.

Miranda Lotte was her name. The whole rewinding thing didn't affect her memory was both a blessing, a curse, and a huge clue. Raven showed no reaction when Allen's left eye changed, even as his own began to emit a faint light.

"Lenalee, if you would please escort Miss Lotte from here at once."

"Dark Boots should allow you to escape from our friends here fine," added Raven. The back of his shawl parted as his wings extended outward to their 14-foot span.

"Miranda's different reaction from the townspeople is a clue to the mystery of the Innocence. She probably had contract with it," explained Allen as the two Walkers prepared for battle.

Four level 2 akumas emerged from the four men seated at the bar. Allen dispatched one, but another began to scream.

" **Voice of Pain!"**

Raven let out a pained hiss, his body beginning to seize up.

"No you don't," he gritted between his teeth. **"Silver Guardian."** He wrapped his wings around himself and Allen to block off the agonizing wavelengths of sound.

Another akuma sliced the air. The impacts didn't break through Silver Guardian, but they pressed the two into the wall. Both exorcists recovered but were fairly bruised. They abruptly separated as the last akuma pounced on them. White flames spread out from his punch.

" **Kukuku, Ice Fire is hotter than regular old fire. One touch will ravage your flesh."**

" **Come on, let's tear them to pieces!"**

" **No, no, I want to use my voice to scramble their brains. Wouldn't that look nice?"**

The idiots tried to settle their argument with a rock-paper-scissors match. They of course didn't let the akumas finish. Allen fired his cannon arm.

" **AAaahhhhh!"**

" **What the hell? Why'd you go and attack us while we were playing rock-paper-scissors?!"**

"As if we'd let you finish deciding our fates," disparaged Raven. The exorcists ready themselves for a brawl, but the three akuma suddenly froze. Raven clutched his head in sudden pain. He could hear a deep echo, the voice too distorted to understand. The akumas then flew off.

"Raven? Raven! Are you okay?" Raven blinked uncomprehendingly. The pain had vanished. He saw Allen leaning over him in concern. _When did I fall to the ground…?_ Raven smiled assuredly. He took his brother's hand and stood.

* * *

Miranda most definitely had something to do with the Innocence. One moment they were talking with her, next thing the three exorcists knew, she was tucked into bed and her clock began to glow. Raven already spotted the telltale green aura of Innocence, but he only tilted his head toward the clock as the only indication when they first came into the apartment.

Note to self: never imply harm towards Miranda's clock. Her haggard appearance, darkly marked eyes, and the scary knife didn't not bode well. Once things calmed down and the three explained their thoughts, they agreed upon Miranda's status as a probably compatible with the clock's Innocence fragment. They concluded after the dismal first attempt to have Miranda command the clock to try and cheer her up. Maybe if they could get her to succeed for once at a job, Miranda's Innocence would restore time.

[Five failed jobs and three days later…]

"Come one, come all, for the horror play "The Pumpkin and the Witch"!"

Allen balanced on a striped ball while juggling a variety of things. Miranda collected the money and passed tickets among the crowd. Raven wore a blackbird eye mask instead of his usual white one and had a little silver flute out. He played several haunting tunes, drawing the children in like a pied piper.

After a bit, the two exorcists took a break. They sat down with Lenalee.

"Think we'll finally succeed "today"?" asked Raven.

"I hope so," answered Lenalee. Allen was balancing on the ball again. Raven began to play a little tune on his flute. "Wow, you two are really good!" she applauded. Raven stopped and blushed slightly beneath the eye mask.

"The two of worked in a circus when we were kids," explained Allen. "Our parents were performers, so we had to perform with them a lot to make a living."

"Allen worked as a clown, and I used to draw in people by playing the flute in the towns we visited."

"You guys must have seen a lot of places and lived in many different countries. What an interesting life!"

"Maybe in when we talk about it, but we did struggle to live by… Lenalee, when did you join the Church?"

Lenalee smiled gently, but two orphans like Allen and Raven could spot the shadows in her eyes easily.

"I've been with the Church for as long as I can remember. My brother and I were orphaned when akuma killed our parents. The Church discovered my compatibilities with these Dark Boots and took me away. I wasn't allowed to be with my brother, my last relative, for years nor could I leave. The Black Order became a prison. For three years, they kept my brother and I separate. Then Komui-niisan joined the Church for my sake, and he succeeded as the Science Group's supervisor."

"Mmm, I'm glad things worked out for you," Raven smiled. "Komui is such a good brother. A bit overbearing, but he does have your best interests in mind."

"Komui is so cool," added Allen. "I can't imagine being separated from Raven for so long."

"Yeah. By the way, not be rude or prying, but the two of you don't look much alike, do you?"

Allen and Raven were silent. Their eyes were downcast or looking off to the distance.

Finally, Raven answered, "We don't look alike. I'm surprise these past few months went by without anyone asking. Allen's pale where I'm a bit tan. He has straight white hair, and mine is curly blue-black with white bangs. Allen has an English accent, where mine has a lilt. Only our facial structures are similar, and it might be because we take after our mothers, perhaps. Truth be told, Allen and I aren't brothers by blood. We were both orphans picked up by the circus. That's where we met our foster father."

"But it doesn't change that we _are_ brothers, no matter what!" affirmed Allen.

"Hey! - That pumpkin… Do any of you know where you can a ticket for "The Pumpkin and the Witch?"

Allen happily got up to show her, but Raven remained a stiff statue next to Lenalee.

"Raven…?"

The girl…she had an aura unlike anything the young man has ever seen. To anyone else, including his brother, the girl would just be that – a spiky, blue haired girl dressed in a Lolita-styled dress. Normally, Raven faintly perceived a small glow around living things, the more sentience the brighter the glow. The only exception would be in times of great emotion. Nonliving things seldom had a glow unless they had ties to the supernatural, such as Innocence or taint from the akuma blood virus. But she was altogether different. Deep purple, almost black in color, swirled chaotically around her. A supernatural aura independent of an object. In other words, the power came from within her. And it was powerful. Raven's head ached more harshly than ever.

He flinched when Lenalee leaned over to shake him lightly. "Ah, sorry, did I space out?"

Shouting interrupted them. Lenalee gave him another concerned look before running off to catch the thief. Raven yelled at Allen that he would keep an eye on Miranda.

"There, there." Raven was a bit of a lost. Miranda wept in the young teen's arms.

"I-I'm useless. I can't do anything right," she sobbed.

"Miranda, you can do plenty of things right," soothed the young man. "You just need someone to keep your head up and your smile bright. Don't worry, Allen and Lenalee will be back soon."

"Why? Why does my clock have to have the Innocence…?!"

"Your clock has the Innocence?" Raven's head jerked up. Black streaks joined the purple haze of the girl's aura.

"Miranda…" He activated his Innocence.

* * *

\- The Noah Clan –

* * *

"…aven! Wake up!"

The exorcist abruptly woke up, banging his head against the wall in the process. He groaned in pain. He could faintly remember a sadistic laugh and the world twisting around him. He looked around him. Candles pinned his wings against the wall. Allen was in a similar state with his left arm nailed to the wall. The cruel akumas and strange girl had candles embedded into Miranda's hands, too!

"How pretty! Yes, black is definitely her color."

"Mistress Road, why are you dressing up the exorcist?"

"Hush. Weapons like you would never understand. Exorcists dolls are quite collectible, don't you think?"

The girl from earlier stood by Lenalee. Judging by her faint aura, the akumas must have done some internal damage since he couldn't see any visible damage to cause such a barely perceptible glow.

"Lenalee!" both Walkers cried.

" **Now, now, don't you be mean to Mistress Road. She's her doll, now."**

"Lenalee? What a cute name for my doll," giggled the girl Road.

" **She fought so hard to try and protect you,"** mentioned the pumpkin headed akuma.

"Allen, you alright there?" called out Raven. He tried to pull his wings out, but the motion sent streaks of agony through his nervous system. He barely concealed his moans of pain.

"Not really," he replied.

"Be careful of Road. I don't think she's normal. She took me down without hardly trying. I have never seen anything like her before."

Allen looked utterly flabbergasted. "You fought Raven?! Why…? Why are you working with the akuma? You're not one of them…"

"Oh? I'm a human." Allen and Raven wore identical stricken expressions. _What kind of human has such an inhuman aura? I can practically feel the waves of malice. Not even those level 2s have such darkness._

"What's with that face? Don't you believe me? Can't humans and akuma be friends?"

"Akuma are weapons of the Earl used to kill humans." Raven wasn't liking where the conversation was going.

"Ah, but don't humans use weapons to kill other humans? The Millennium Earl is a part of my family. We are the chosen ones of God." Raven drew back unconsciously as her skin turned gray and black crosses crowned her forehead. "Exorcists are chosen ones of a false god, but we are the true apostles. We are the Clan of Noah."

Allen didn't take that very well. He ripped his arm from the wall. Road only mocked him. She embraced him, tore apart her own face, and then impaled Allen's cursed left eye.

"Allen!" he cried. He sent Road a glare. "I could tell you're not just human. No human has such a malicious and dark aura. You wouldn't even bat an eye if you scatter out life's blood across the walls."

Road hummed. "Why should I? Humans are such worthless things. I just _haaate_ his world full of such insects~. It would be best if they all just disappeared." Road leaned in until she was Raven's face. "Don't you think?"

"Hmm." Road's smirk turned darker as she regarded the winged exorcist. "You two are brothers, right? Let's see if your eyes would look as good in crimson, too!"

More candles hovered at Road's command. They shot out to blind the trapped exorcist. But instead of hitting their targets, pieces of the ceiling miraculously fell just in time to knock them off course.

Road's eyes went wide in puzzlement. "Huh? Aren't you the charmed one?" Raven couldn't let the pain faze him any longer. He pulled until his wings tore free of the wall. Blood splattered from the gaping wounds. Allen had gotten up, too, the shock finally wearing off.

Road shook her fingers patronizingly. "Ttch, you know, God wants this world to end, too. This is why he gave the Millennium Earl the power of the akuma," she mocked.

"God's will? No. That is the agenda of the devil!" Allen brandished his newly improved anti-akuma weapon.

"Who care? God or the devil, evil or good, I'm fine with either."

The akumas ran to guard the Noah girl. Raven and Allen stood side-by-side.

The two exorcists had taken far too much damage already. Blood stained their clothes and the Ice Fire burned. More pointed candles flew up.

"Awww, are the poor exorcists tired from just fighting three measly akumas? Maybe I should finish this now?"

Both Allen and Raven leaped to cover the unprotected Miranda. Raven could feel his consciousness slipping.

* * *

Light. There was light everywhere. Raven blinked. He couldn't feel any pain. All around the two exorcists and accommodator, a barrier of clocks glowed brightly.

"Miranda," he whispered. "Your Innocence…it took away our time, didn't it?"

"Amazing," breathed Allen. The two exorcists exchanged determined looks. Allen's arm dragged Lenalee into the barrier. She healed just like they did.

The three exorcist tore through one of the akumas.

"Hahaha," chortled the little Noah girl. "My, my, aren't you exorcists something."

She wrote out Allen and his names. "Allen Walker. Raven Walker. The Earl of the Millennium told me a bit about the two of you. One bears a cursed left eye able to see the souls of the akumas. But the other one has the more bothersome ability. Raven can see supernatural energies and the "truth" of this world. Disguises, people's masks, the souls of the akuma, even able to recognize the dark matter given off by us, of the Noah Clan it seems.

The two of you make for some interesting players. The two of you became exorcist to save the souls of the akuma, right? Because one was cursed by his beloved father, and the other one was born cursed. I decided if anyone would be worth getting involved with, it would with one of the two of you. I've decided then! I choose Allen Walker~"

Cue sweat drop. Raven blinked in utter bewilderment at the last statement. "Okay…?"

"You," she pointed to the last akuma, "self-destruct."

"EEeehhh!?"

Once the ten-second countdown ended, the akuma exploded. Lenalee and Raven pulled Allen back barely in time.

Raven couldn't stop his tears. Amidst the explosion, he saw the blackish purple aura consume the soul within it. Then the energy dispersed.

Road sent the last akuma out. Lenalee and Raven easily rent it into two.

The Noah left with an ominous farewell. The world returned to normal. _An illusion? No. No illusion has ever been able to affect me. What did she do to us?_ Raven looked over to the crumpled body of Miranda Lotte.

"Miranda, you really should relax," warned the wearied exorcist. "Your energy is depleting too quickly. Any longer, and you'll pass out on us."

Miranda shook her head in denial. "No, no! If I do that, all the lost time would return! And your injuries…"

Allen knelt down. "It's okay. We're still alive. You've done enough for us. Release your activation."

Lenalee nodded. "We'll be fine. It's part of being an exorcist."

"You can probably go and fetch a doctor, if it's not too much trouble," advised Raven with a small grin. All three exorcists gave the new accommodator smiles filled with how confident they felt about Miranda's abilities.

The Innocence returned the lost time. Raven could feel all his past pain return, including a sudden surge of head pain just before he fell back into unconsciousness.


	4. Memories of the Blue Hour

Memories of the Blue Hour

* * *

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks and dreams /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

 **"Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

[Time passing]

* * *

\- Nightmare –

* * *

When one brushes with death, a person is said to see their entire life flash through their eyes. Raven was very certain he was not dead, though. He knew in the back of his head he was dreaming, but the reminder didn't stop the tears from leaking as he slept. A tide of memory buried his conscious once more.

/ Cold. It was cold that day. Winter had just set, and the streets of the city were silent. A little boy of no more than six years darted along the shadows and through the alleys. He had just scored a bit of coin, enough for some better clothes he hoped. The boy made sure to keep the scarf wrapped firmly around his face. Better blind than face what the other streets would do to such a strange creature.

The little boy thought he was home free until he slammed into a passing child, maybe two years older than him.

"Oi, watch it, ya little-!"

Shouting interrupted the boy's rant. The younger boy darted behind a dumpster just as an angry old man stumbled into the alley.

"Hey, kid! Have you seen this street rat around? Younger than you with black hair? Wears a scarf like it's a mask."

"A little waif like that? Ya, I've seen 'im."

 _Dead, he was dead._ The boy awaited his fate with bated breath.

"Saw him ran past this alley and dart into another one maybe a block or two away. If ya hurry, ya can catch 'im."

The elderly man grunted his thanks and rudely turned on his heel without another word.

"Stupid nobles," grumbled the older boy. He walked over and hauled the little waif out. "Now, what did ya take from 'im to make 'im chase ya all the way out here?"

Red smirked as the younger child pulled a little bag off his neck to reveal a dozen of shiny coins.

"Nice pickings. But don't you get tired of running? Don't ya have a family or something?"

The waif shook his head in the negative. He gestured toward his face.

"Do your parents abandon ya because of a disfigurement or something? Or are ya blind?" Red felt a twinge of empathy, right hand unconsciously clutching the left one.

The little boy tugged at the scarf. It fell apart to reveal yellow eyes and blackbird markings. The boy then turned around to pull his oversized shirt down. Red really did gape, mouth open and all, when he caught sight of freaking black and white and scrawny bird wings on the kid's back. Then he laughed.

"Man, oh man! You're not much different from me, aren't ya?" Red pulled off his glove. A red and scaly arm laid limp. "Quite a pair, aren't we? Why don't ya come back with me?" Red asked on impulse. "The circus could always use another pair of hands. Time to grab some eats, too."

The little boy nodded his head enthusiastically, stomach growling emphasizing his agreement. Red guffawed and rubbed the younger boy's head in a rare show of affection. _Huh, weird. I guess I can't help but pity the kid._

"So, what should I call ya? I'm called Red for my arm. You are…?

"Raven," whispered the lost boy, "My parents used to call me Raven. /

Raven would never forget the first time he met Red, the person Allen was before Allen. They worked together at the circus for over a year. Allen was the only one to have seen Raven's uncovered face and wings. They became nearly inseparable. Their bond only deepened from the loyalty of two lost boys in the harsh life of circus folk to that of brothers when Mana the clown adopted them when Allen was about seven and Raven was about five. He was never happier than then. But happiness could be so fragile.

/ Raven had just left for a moment to grab some water and food. Allen and he had stood vigilance over Mana's grave for days. Raven had lost his parents before and weathered the grief a bit better, but Allen was nearly unresponsive. The younger boy had just left to grab some water and grub.

He had climbed back up the hill when his eyes began to go loopy. Raven knew he was weird. Not everyone could see those weird ghost things (and he learned long ago not to draw attention to himself by pointing them out), but this was different. His eyes beneath the facemask (the very same one Mana gave him when he was eight years old) felt like they were burning. His vision blurred before focusing on something hanging by the grave. He could barely make out a figure beneath _that_ – a billowing cloak of black with random shades of purple here and there. The aura caused shivers to wrack his willowy frame.

The thump of his package of food and water slipping from his grip broke him out his reverie. _Allen._ The weirdo monster guy was hanging in the same area as Mana's gravestone. Where Allen had stayed ever since the burial.

Raven broke out in a full run.

"Mana!"

He was too late. He watched in horror as he saw a specter, the same kind he's seen around some people they passed by, become bound to a horrid skeleton with a lighter cloak of dark purple. _Akuma_. Raven had not time to consider where he heard that word. All he could see was the monster that had his foster father's soul rear up and slashed his older brother's face.

"Allen!" he cried. Standing a little ways way, a large man grinned hysterically.

"Go, my akuma. Kill the boy and wear his skin!"

Green surged in his vision. One moment, he was running, the next moment he was _flying_ , dropping in front of his brother to block the incoming attack even as Allen's red left arm paled to bone white and _grew_.

"No, Dad!"

"Father…" whispered the horrified younger accommodator.

A black wing neatly severed the arm of the akuma, and the huge white hand smashed it to the ground. Both reared upward.

" **Allen, Raven, I love you… So, please destroy me,"** pleaded the monster who was their father.

Ash exploded into the air with the final strike, and two new accommodators took to the stage. /

Both boys were in a state of shock. Then this red-haired guy came and offered them the chance to become accommodators. Raven had no idea where the monster who offered to bring their father's soul back went.

Raven couldn't rightly remember what happened next. From what Mother had told them, they were in a state of shock for several weeks. Raven snapped out of it first. He spent many of the next days fruitlessly begging his older brother to respond, to cry or yell, to do something! Nothing. Nothing until one day Allen finally woke up. But it wasn't the same Allen.

/ "Allen?" For the first time in too many long days, Allen had life in his eyes. Raven's smile slipped, though, when Allen opened in mouth.

Allen didn't talk or act like Allen. He spoke too formerly, too kindly. Not a trace of the angry brat that was Red remained. Raven pulled pranks, goofed around, did all sorts of stupid things, but this mask of Allen's, no, of _Mana's_ wouldn't break.

Where Raven wore a physical mask over his face and acted more like himself than without it, Allen wore a mask made of smiles and manners and behaved nothing like the boy Raven once knew.

Years would pass during their training. Allen continued to wear his mask, even when Raven willingly took off his white one in an effort to bond with his older brother. It didn't do a thing, and Raven felt too out of place without something covering his face. Eventually, traces of Red reintegrated in what Raven lovingly dubbed "Black Allen". The younger exorcist adapted to the new Allen, but some nights he would reminisce on the street savvy brat who saved the shy lost one those many years ago.

Some nights, Raven wished for his first brother back. /

* * *

\- The Play Begins -

* * *

His consciousness hovered on the border between waking and dreaming. He just needed a little more… _A surge of pain and sorrow!_

Raven was on his feet in an instant. His eyes honed in on the malicious energies of akuma. Lenalee had woken up, too, as she smashed one akuma heading for Komui. He spread his wings.

" **Dark Skies: Shining!"** Hundreds of feathers fell on another sneaky akuma, their tips shining so brightly that the entire feather glittered white. The whirlwind of razor sharp feathers rendered the akuma to ash.

"Lenalee, Raven."

Uncovered gold eyes drifted off to somewhere behind the small old man with a single odd ponytail.

"Mr. Panda-faced sir, you might want to move-"

Allen and another young man crashed through the wall. The old man managed to dodge out of the way in time, but debris covered the two of them.

"YOU DAMN BRATS!" fumed the old man. The red-haired brat with an eyepatch sweat dropped.

Once everyone settled, Raven learned of the other two exorcists as Bookman and Lavi, members of the Bookman Clan. Raven heard of the clan only through some rather interesting (and explicitly forbidden) books of his master's. There were hailed as the chroniclers of the secret history of the world. Bookman had also been the one to tend to the three exorcists.

They all took a carriage to the nearest train station.

During the interim of their mission, a general had been murdered: Kevin Yeegar. He died horribly, staked backward to a cross with the words "God hunt" carved into his back. Generals (except maybe Master) carried many fragments of Innocence with them in order to discover more accommodators on their travels. The most horrible part of the man's death, was the revelation of why he died. The enemy had driven General Yeegar to madness. To his last breath, the poor old man sung a haunting song: "The Millennium Count is searching ~…Searching for the precious heart ~…It wasn't me…Next, who'll it be? ~"

The heart. According to Komui, the heart of Innocence supplied the power of all other fragments. It the most powerful of them all. Should it break, so would their Innocence. One side wanted to protect it. The other side wanted to crush it. Both sides needed it to end the war once and for all.

The most like people to hold the heart were the generals. The group now had a new mission: find and protect General Cross Marian.


	5. Rising Moon, Falling Night

Rising Moon, Falling Night

* * *

A/N: I'm glad some people do like this story~ Many thanks to my first three reviewers, readwithcats, Mana D. Campbell, and GentleSoul76.

To address the following questions:

 **Mana D. Campbell:** I'm posting two chapters today, so you'll glimpse the two brothers in the next chapter. Raven won't register the presence of the 14th until after Tyki almost kills Allen, which is when Neah really stirs if I recollect rightly. As for what will happen when he does, let's just say Raven will have a lot on his mind at the time.

 **GentleSoul76** : The canon divergence will be definite once I finish the Noah's Ark arc. Raven will have an effect upcoming battles, but I'm still considering how. Hope you continue to enjoy reading my story.

Thanks for all who reviewed, voted, followed, or even read this fledgling of a story. Please, don't be shy and put in your two cents. Just mind your manners~

* * *

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks and dreams /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

" **Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

[Time passing]

* * *

\- A Forsaken Village and a Haunted Castle -

* * *

The two Walker brothers rushed at the sound of the train whistle until…

*Snatch*!

"Is that a cross on your chest, young man?"

"Okay, what just happened?" groaned Raven. Both of them were now tied to chairs with a whole group of people staring at them.

"Please, master black clergymen, you must save our village from the vampire," pleaded the old man who grabbed them.

"For years, a vampire had made its home in the castle beyond this village. Its name is Baron Arystar Krory III. He never comes down during the day. Every night, we can hear human screams breaking the night's silence. No one who has ever went up there has ever returned."

"Vampires do not exist," deadpanned Raven. "Akumas exist for sure since we're _exorcists_ and fight them all the time, but we've traveled all over the world, and I don't recall any proof of their existence."

The man's bulging eyes were really starting to get on the youngest exorcist's nerves.

"Pardon, my brother's forthright attitude. Please continue," mediated Allen.

"Very well. So long as the villagers stayed away, nothing bad would happen. Then one night, Baron Krory came down and attacked an old maid He sucked her blood until she was naught but ash!"

"Whoa…"

Lavi should have known better, but no, the bookman had to pop out of a barrel of all things and get captured, too. Now the three exorcists trudged up the mountain to Krory Arystar III's castle. As luck would have it, Allen and Raven's old master had stopped by the castle before the killings. And, as per Cross's slovenly way, the general essentially dumped the case on any passing exorcist whom the crazy villagers caught.

* * *

Lavi's teardrop golem fluttered in place as he relayed the mission to Lenalee and Bookman (and the insane village mob still had the exorcists tied together by rope). She agreed with the others that they should at least investigate the matter. She left them with a warning to not get bitten and turned.

The group finally came to a pair of large doors to the castle estate. They pushed the doors open, and they were on the so-called vampires' stomping grounds. The decor was in a word…gothic. Creepy and weirdly posed gargoyles and other stone figures. Whoever designed the castle had a whacked out sense of style.

Raven's eyes beneath his mask slid over to his two companions – who were definitely scared out of their minds.

"Yo, Allen, scared?"

"What? No, I am not."

"Then why do you have your left glove removed?" That was true. Allen had removed his glove some time ago. The red hand oddly fit the scene.

"I am not scared. Are you?"

"Pssh, no."

"Then, why do you have your hand on your hammer?"

"Both of you are being ridiculous. There are no such things as vampires," admonished Raven. To think he was the child here! His wings twitched in agitation beneath his shawl.

He hid a wince as pain shot through his head. Ever since the rewinding town mission, Raven's head pulsed with pain. Nothing really unusual (he had chronic headaches for most of his life) except for the frequency of the episodes of pain.

Then the three stilled. The atmosphere had spiked with enormous bloodthirst. Something black blurred past the three. A scream. Someone had leaped onto a village and torn his throat out. Before the three exorcists stood a tall, thin man with black and white hair. He noisily slurped up the villager's blood.

Raven narrowed his eyes the moment the baron released his victim. That particular villager Raven decided to keep quiet on based on his gut instincts. He tried to focus on the vampire, but his vision once more clouded over like it had on and off for the past several hours. Raven shook his head and stopped focusing on his second sight. His vision went back to normal.

Lavi and Allen activated their Innocence and attacked. Krory had dodged Allen's shot only to have Lavi's oversized hammer slam down. _Wow, that is a scary big Innocence._

But, Lavi's hammer didn't smash the baron into the ground. Instead, Krory had caught the hammer and flung it right at Raven.

"Activate! **Silver Guardian!"** Raven wrapped his wings tight and braced for impact as Lavi and his hammer crashed into him.

"Be a bit more careful, Bunny-chan," mumbled Raven in a slight daze. While Raven was preoccupied with Lavi's sudden flight, Allen had captured Krory. Instead of being intimidated, Krory began to laugh.

"Ttch, strange children, aren't you? You should quit wasting my time and flee. Unless…are you monsters as well?"

"Hardly," grumbled Raven as he shoved Lavi's hammer and Lavi himself off. "We're exorcists. I'm Raven Walker, and this is my older brother Allen Walker and Lavi the Bookman apprentice."

"Good evening then. I am Arystar Krory the third. Now, I am very busy tonight," calmly stated the captive as his face twisted in anger, "so kindly LET GO OF ME!"

He bit right into Allen's bone white hand. Not a smart idea for the not-vampire. The human and Innocence-laced blood made the guy cough and gag in utter disgust. Before the three knew it, Krory fled into the woods

* * *

\- The Secret of the Vampire -

* * *

The mob essentially ran off and left the rest of the work for the exorcists to finish. Plus, Allen's bite made him very unpopular as evidenced by Lavi's stake and garlic. _Where he got it, I'll never know. Maybe he borrowed it from a villager. Or he's a secret vampire hunter._

The behavior was getting ridiculous. The young academic scolded the red head. "Lavi, Allen is _not_ turning into a damn vampire! And forget about the villager. He was already dead."

Allen and Lavi gaped at Raven's blunt words.

Lavi sputtered, "What do you mean "dead"?"

"I mean dead. Not alive. No living energy but for the chained soul of another dead human. As in, an akuma."

"Why didn't you kill it if one was with the crowd? For that matter, why didn't you warn any of us about it?" questioned Lavi.

"One, the villagers have lost too many people to take our exorcism very well. Two, I had a feeling that told me to see what would happen. And I was right. Arystar Krory targeted that very villager and no one else in the crowd. When he bit Allen, his blood or Innocence did not agree with him in the least. We've established that Allen is human, but his blood repulsed the baron. Therefore, Arystar Krory III cannot be a vampire. In addition, those fangs of his actually _pierced_ through Allen's Innocence, and they didn't break when he grabbed Little Hammer, Big Hammer."

"He's an accommodator," reasoned Lavi. "Probably a parasitic-type like the two of you."

Raven stared at the building coming up ahead of them. "Most likely, unless vampires partake of akuma blood oil. Which means, General Cross left him for us to explain some things. I wouldn't be surprised he's the one to leave the Innocence since the attacks occurred after he visited the castle. So, we got an accommodator to initiate, it seems."

"Yeah," agreed the two exorcists.

Lavi turned to Allen. "Beansprout, are you sure he's your brother? The kid's super smart compared to you."

"Raven's always been smart, ever since we were children. And, what do you mean compared to me?"

"You both are idiots for believing in vampire stories," sighed the youngest of the three with nary a trace of diplomacy.

Fate hated the exorcist at times. This was one instance. Some monstrous man-eating plants knocked Lavi out, and grabbed Allen and him. Raven wrinkled his nose at the nauseating sweet smell. The plants were vaguely familiar.

Allen smashed several around himself and Lavi, and Raven extended his wings to hack more apart. **"Dark Skies: Shining!"** Feathers shorn down the wild garden plants.

"Wake up, you dumbass rabbit! Do I need to give you the Kanda-inspired special to wake you up?!" screamed Raven along with Allen. Lavi was still out until a blonde and quite pretty woman reproached the chop-happy actions of the exorcists. Lavi awoke at that exact moment.

Lavi's aura seemed to pulse with a red heart in Raven's sight. The guy posed and shouted, "STRIKE!"

This prompted Raven's dearest mature older brother to smash Lavi's head with his Innocence.

"Listen to us!"

Raven emphasized the point by flinging to sharp feathers at the rabbit, neatly slicing a stand of hair.

"If you haven't notice by now, we have man-eating plants attacking us! Why would you be so easily distracted? You're a Bookman apprentice and our senior! Show some maturity!" scolded the younger boy.

"Why are you so interested with _that_?" contributed Allen.

Raven smacked a hand to his face. Again, _he_ was the thirteen-year-old brat, not them.

Eliade took their rudeness, in a word, badly. She threw the akuma villager at the plants. Black pentacles crawled across the skin of several plants. _Oh, this is not-_

*BOOM!*

The three exorcists flew out of the castle from the power of the explosion. Allen and Lavi barely managed to cling to the castle wall in time. Raven simply angled his wings and hovered below them.

"I blame you, Lavi and Allen" pronounced Raven. "You two just had to go and enrage the akuma lady. And I repeat, AKUMA lady, for your information, Lavi."

The Bookman's apprentice just sighed in disappointment.

* * *

Soon after substantiating the accommodator theory with the akuma blood virus tainted graveyard, the man of the hour snuck up behind Lavi and backhanded him into the wall.

"Ah, so the intruders were the three of you. You not only hurt my grandfather's beloved plants, but you tried to hurt Eliade. You've angered me. Die, exorcists," hissed the very vampire-looking Krory.

Krory's attacked with devastating speed and strength. Raven had the aerial advantage, but Krory was freaking demonic like this! He managed to clip Raven and send the small exorcist tumbling through the graves.

Once he extracted himself from the rubble, Raven flew back into battle. He darted forth to join Allen just as he finished lecturing Krory, and the guy slammed the cursed boy into the castle across from the graveyard.

" **Earth Fall!"** Raven flew to a great height and dove straight down. Green light sparked and scattered across his body. The exorcist plunged into the not-vampire with blinding speed. At the same time he made impact, a hammer slammed down. The baron crashed to the side.

"Oh! You actually got me," chuckled Krory. He drew a sleeve across his bleeding mouth. Lavi and Raven smiled a Cheshire grin.

"Don't you worry, I'll be paying you back, too, bastard. You shouldn't go and fuck with us exorcists! Yo, Nightingale, would it be okay if I bloody this guy up a bit?"

The younger exorcist glared at the redhead. "Nightingale? I am not a freaking songbird. Never mind. You nearly hit me, you know…if you really must. I, mean, the guy did just send my older brother into his castle with that last blow. Just make sure to let me get a few wing strokes in."

"My, my. You two are getting serious. Sound like fun, actually," sneered the baron. "Show me your power, kiddies."

Krory refused to listen when the two told him about being an accommodator. To lecture in the middle of a fight probably didn't help. Raven peered closely at Krory. His eyes behaved without too much fuss this time. He could see the green light of Innocence dim considerably.

Suddenly, Krory screamed in pain.

"UAAAAAGUGAGUGAGUGAGAGA!"

"Huh? What's wrong?" inquired Lavi.

"I would say he just ran out of steam. His Innocence is dependent on the akuma blood virus present in his blood stream," inferred Raven. "Looks like he's running on fumes."

The two exorcists exchanged smiles.

"Well then…Whatever! I don't care if you are weakened. But you're wide open. Don't take this badly." Lavi raised Iron Hammer.

"" **Innocence: Second Opening - Fire Seal! Hellfire and Ash!"**

" **Dark Skies: Shining!"**

A fire serpent crashed into Krory at the same time feathers whirled around its length. Lavi remarked on how both exorcists had backed down on their respective power.

*Hissssss* Raven looked to his golem. A small image projected to report-

"Holy Guardian Spirits! Lavi, we shot Krory right where Allen is fighting!"

* * *

\- Love's Destruction -

* * *

Lavi and he bust through the window in time to catch the falling Allen. The sight greeting the two was intense. Somehow, Allen's eye revealed the true form of the akuma soul. Raven could always see them, but Allen's eye allowed him to _hear_ the crying soul. By Lavi's reaction, he, too, was affected. Krory also could see the rotting soul. The exorcists didn't have much of an opportunity to intervene in the battle erupting in front of them as the persistent flowers busted into the room.

"What is with these flowers? Did Krory forget to feed them or something?!" Another vine made a swipe at his head. He sliced it apart without mercy.

"This again!" yelled Lavi as he defended with his hammer.

Allen and Raven finally recalled where they have seen the flowers. Their master had made the two take care of a cutting of these one he called Rosanne. It was sort of memory Raven would have blocked out for the humiliation of extracting his hand from it (thrice). The exorcists managed to abate the flower's blood lust by heaping on them a ton of affection.

Krory won his battle, the plants ate them, but in the end, they had another exorcist with them. Another weird one, too. Actions speak louder than words…but the youngest exorcist definitely jumped in fear when the whole castle exploded.


	6. Dancing Shadows

Dancing Shadows

* * *

A/N: Warning, mixing a bit of anime, manga, and non-canon in this chapter.

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks and dreams /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

" **Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

[Time passing]

* * *

\- A Simple Game –

* * *

Raven rubbed the sides of head in an effort to calm the throbbing.

"You okay there, Nightingale?"

Raven lifted his head from his lap. "Yeah…just a headache. I've suffered from chronic headaches for most of my life. They kind of got worse since the whole episode with the Noah, but I'll be fine."

Raven slung his pack around to the front. Miraculously, his stuff remained unbroken despite the amount of crashing and fighting he brought the bag into recently. Even the very delicate crystals were perfectly preserved. Like his name, the young man had a predilection for shiny things. Especially anything metallic or gem-like. His mother sometimes thought magpie would fit him better at times. No wonder he took to pickpocketing at such a young age. He found comfort in his stash, although his little pendant would remain the most important of the little treasures he kept.

Speaking of comfort…

Krory sniffed and sobbed in a fetal position on his seat. No amount of reassurances could soothe the heartbroken exorcist. He was a monster in the eye of the villagers of his hometown. Raven could understand it a little. Most people from his childhood distrusted his oddly colored eyes and strange markings. Don't even mention how his wings factored into it. In the end, Lavi's suggestion produced the best results. Krory went off on his own to explore the train.

Three hours passed.

"What do you suppose Krory spent three hours doing?" asked Raven, eyes not straying from his latest book. The young scholar decided to brush up on his supernatural herb and plant lore after meeting Rosanne's parents.

"We should probably go look for him" sighed Allen. Raven nodded in compliance, shutting his book close.

The three exorcists called out for Krory as they walked the narrow walkway of the train cars.

"Kro-chan!"

"Krory!"

"You don't suppose Krory could have gotten lost in a straight corridor?" considered Allen. Raven reached over to cuff his head.

"We are looking for Krory, not you, Allen. Where could have he gone? Outside?" _Why am I the "older" brother sometimes?_

Allen slid open another car door to reveal a most unexpected sight: their missing comrade without most of his clothes, three smirking men holding playing cards, and a child no more than a couple years younger than Raven watching them all.

"Krory?"

The one in the middle wore thick glasses whose distorted surface reflected swirls. He blew out some smoke from his cigarette and proclaimed, "Sorry, but kids such as yourselves aren't allowed to enter here. Now, my good sir, what would you like to wager next?"

Raven leaned against the train car door and banged his head against the frame. "Seriously?"

"Krory, what are you doing?!" exclaimed a much suffering sounding Allen. His brother should be familiar enough with this scenario, but best to stick with appearances.

"*Sniff, sniff* These nice men invited me to play something called poker and…"

Raven didn't need to hear the rest. He sighed and walked over to where Krory knelt. He draped his traveling cloak over the poor man.

"Would any of you gents like to play my brother and me?' He asked with a smile. Allen helpfully offered to bet his own coat the same as Raven's vest.

* * *

"Call: Three of a kind," declared both exorcists to the dismay of their opponents.

Allen as always cheated, but Raven actually never played tricks at cards. Road was right about one thing. Raven did have an unusually charmed life. Allen struggled for months to perfect his skills, but Raven could walk into a poker match and take home most of the winnings. The only caveat to his unusual luck seemed to be intent. If Raven wanted or needed to win badly enough, he would play miraculous hand after hand after hand. If Raven wanted to lose for sake of not being hunted down, he could get a streak of terrible or normal hands. The younger brother could never really explain how, it just happened much to the elder's displeasure (Allen quit playing against Raven after the third time the younger Walker stripped him in a "friendly" match).

"Man, you guys are quite lucky," chuckled the man in the center, a lit cigarette smoking idly. Raven and Allen share a smile.

"My little brother is always lucky. I wouldn't want to bet against him in a million years," boasted Allen. "Raven could probably steal the Crown jewels and get away with it just by the skin of his teeth."

"Allen, what did I tell you about my ideas of theft? No point in risking your life in the future when there's smaller fish in the present," jested the masked exorcist.

"Shounen, shouldn't you be _dis_ couraging your younger sibling?" chuckled the blonde-haired man.

Eventually, the train arrived at Kirilenko Station. Allen and Raven as good gentlemen handed over the unneeded suitcases of clothes to their respective owners. Raven nodded his head and turned away when something was tossed at his brother.

"Take that as recompense for your generosity!" shouts the thick glasses wearing traveler. "May we meet again!"

The two exorcists returned to their friends. Raven still felt odd since meeting the other man. Something about him seemed familiar. He tried looking with his sight, but all he earned was another pounding headache. He shook off his thoughts as Lavi exclaimed on how he never knew what demons the two Walkers can be.

In the quiet of the train car sometime later, Raven looks over the Walker brother's new set of playing cards. The unique and dark design seems to send an edge of foreboding through the younger Walker. Then Raven finally noticed something else: his beloved pendant has fallen off somewhere during the train ride.

* * *

\- Interlude I –

* * *

Tyki Mikk bantered a little with the Millennium Earl as per usual, but his mind was elsewhere. The smaller shounen made him – not uneasy per se but discomforted, especially with him wearing a mask of all things. But, there was something familiar about him. Of course, the mask made it hard to tell where the Noah of Pleasure could have seen him. Then again, the little shounen was in the company of exorcists, an exorcist himself even. It probably didn't matter anyways.

"-ello? Earth to Tyki?"

Tyki banished all thoughts of the shounen and returned to the present.

"Yes, Road?" Tyki was rewarded with a book shoved into his face.

"Please, please help me with my homework?" begged the eldest child. Sometimes it could be disconcerting when Road acted like a little girl she appeared to be.

The Millennium Earl had his usual grin as he regarded the two Noahs. "Tyki-pon is unusually broody today "

"Earl, please don't call me that." Tyki eyed the piles of books surrounding Road. "Err, why do you have so many books, anyways?"

"She slacked off until the last minute again. Her homework is due tomorrow so she told me! " chuckled the Millennium Earl.

"Oh, Rooooooad~"

Tyki's face fell. His older brother apparently had some time to spare if he joined them this meal. Sheril Kamelot swept into the dining room and lovingly swung Road up.

"Aww, my darling Road~ You slacked off on your homework again, didn't you? I'm sure Tyki and everyone will help, right?"

At his name, Tyki slouched a bit into his chair, but straightened when his older brother glared at him.

* * *

After a disastrous attempt at Road's homework (/ "I told you, I never went to school," smirked an unrepentant Tyki as Road yelled at him for writing the number 10 for everything. It was worth Sheril's outrageous lamentations to mess with his niece. /) and dinner, the Earl got down to business. The fat man held out two diamond-backed playing cards. On one was a location. On the other, a list of names.

"For your first job, I need you to accompany me to this place "

"Why are we going to such a far place?" complained Tyki as he took the two cards.

"It isn't that far, especially between Road's ability and the power of the "box". As for your second job, I need you to "delete" these people listed by name."

Road peered over Tyki's shoulder. Her dark blue eyes flickered with understanding. "Tyki going after people relate to _him_?"

The Earl hummed in confirmation. He flipped a third card from his sleeve. "Finally, I need you to retrieve the young man described on this card. Alive and relatively sane. Try not to overdo it, since I need to check on something."

The Earl passed the card to the disgruntled Tyki. The Noah of Pleasure couldn't hide his reaction. His eyes widened. _Raven Walker._ The picture was definitely of the young man he met on the train, masked face staring off to the side but his hair was free and laid curled around his shoulders. Furthermore, the given information rang a bell in his memories. He read this description somewhere before. _But where?_ The card listed him as an orphan and adopted brother of Allen Walker – one of his "to kill" targets. The Earl had also lent Tyki some restraints made of dark matter for this mission.

"Is something amiss, Tyki-pon? "

Tyki hummed before replying, "…Nothing. It's nothing. I actually met this young man a little while ago, so it should make things easier. Why do you need this exorcist alive?" That really was out of character. The Earl of the Millennium never had asked any of the family to leave an exorcist relatively unharmed, much less kidnap one.

The Earl hummed, "Oh, it's because of what Road told me about him during her little confrontation with the exorcists the other day . The young man demonstrated unusual abilities. Also, Road couldn't seem to read his mind, oddly enough. So, I want to have a look at him personally "

Tyki could barely repress a shudder. The Millennium Earl looked like he had plans by that horribly wide grin. But the Noah knew better than to question or argue any further. He gave a nod of acknowledgement and got up from the table. Something clattered onto the floor.

"Hmm?" The noble and occasional vagrant picked up the silver item that somehow ended up in his pockets. The mysterious object had a thin broken chain and a silver raven pendant.

Sheril who had taken a seat to him frowned. He held up a hand for the object. Having no objections, Tyki handed it over. His brother's eyes went wide as he examined it over.

"…Tyki, where did you get this?"

"I'm not sure…wait. I think I saw the young exorcist from the train wearing this. It probably fell off and made its way into my clothes after the two shounen beat me at poker. Why? Is it important?"

Sheril had an unreadable look on his face. "I remember this charm very well. I had it handmade for Aurora on her 16th birthday. It even has the same engravings on the back."

"But why would the little shounen have it?"

Sheril hummed. "Well, it may have been stolen. It wasn't on her body when we went to pay our respects. Although, I think one of her maids mention never seeing her mistress wear it since the birth of her child, the one that went missing shortly after his mother's death. He would be about 13 now, I think."

Tyki Mikk had a lot to think about now. The ownership pendant may be connected to why the shounen looked familiar.

* * *

\- Final Heading –

* * *

Raven looked up and down the train but couldn't find his pendant. This put in a state of depression nearly as bad as Krory's. For this pendant was the only thing he had of his mother.

After taking care of some meddlesome akuma, the group reunited in China. With little leads, they broke into teams to question the locals about Master Cross. They seemed to have no luck until Allen and Lenalee ran into one food stall owner. According to the man, a red-haired man with a half-opera mask frequented a large and glitzy brothel. This broke though the young exorcist's depression in its sheer outrageousness and familiarity. Raven had groaned, face palming. _If it's not expensive wine, it's disreputable women._ If the two brothers knew anything for sure, it was that their master probably had dumped more bills on them.

After so many hundreds of miles, the Cross Group finally caught a solid lead. Anita-sama, the owner of the establishment was a second-generation supporter. She supplied Cross with a boat to cross the sea. The boat supposedly sunk, and the sea in the surrounding area became tainted with the akuma blood virus. A massive horde of akuma must have attacked the ship, but Master Cross would never fall so easily. So, the group plus Anita-sama, Mahoja-san, and the rest of the supporters prepared a ship. The exorcists planned to meet Master Cross at his ultimate destination: Edo, Japan.


	7. Waxing Moon

Waxing Moon

* * *

A/N: Last posts for a while. School's back in session once more. I'll try and see during my breaks, but we'll have to see. Thanks to himekuroyuki853 for the encouragement. Hope you enjoy the reveal next chapter.

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks and visions /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

" **Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

* * *

\- New Moon –

* * *

Allen sat on one side of the mast, and Raven sat on the other. They waited as the sailors readied the ship for their journey across the ocean. Raven's headaches have finally quieted. Raven came to terms (sort of) with his pendant's loss. It was the very last thing he had of his mother's, but the young exorcist tried to focus on the mission at hand. He couldn't put his brother in danger by his inattention like back on the river.

With his mind finally cleared, Raven decided to direct his thoughts toward a question buzzing at the back of his head since the rewinding town. With no one looking up there, Raven lowered his mask.

"Allen?"

"Hmm? Yes Raven?" Allen noted the worry fogging up the usually luminous yellow eyes.

"Do you think there's any link between me and the Noah? We have practically the same eyes, and I know I've never seen anyone else with actual yellow eyes. Golden brown, yes, but not actual _glowing_ yellow."

Allen blinked. Then his face tightened in resolution. "Raven, you could never be like the Noah Clan. You're way too kind and smart and thoughtful. You shouldn't worry so much. You'll get gray hairs before I do, little brother. Plus, your eyes aren't the same. Theirs are more amber and slightly rippled while your eyes are more like a cat's in their pure color and shine. See, way different? They're fine, as long as you don't develop any habits like a cat."

Raven grinned. _Allen always did know best how to cheer me up. Even when he was Red._ Raven slowly put his mask back on when he saw it.

"Are you seeing this?!"

Allen had stood up, too, cursed eye activated.

His second sight registered a huge swathe of purple-black dark matter energy. Akumas were coming, more than the _total_ number Raven has ever seen in his entire life.

"Guys! Akumas! Akumas are coming!"

"Innocence, activate!"

The akumas streamed toward the ship…and passed right over it?

A few suddenly swerved down.

"Let go!" yelled Raven from his upside-down position. Several akumas gathered around the ones holding Allen and Raven.

" **Hehe, lookie what I have here! An exorcist."**

" **Quit messing around! We have a different mission. Throw them aside!"**

" **Hee, hee, why should I? Bastards like these are meant to be killed whenever by the likes of us. Maybe you feel envious of missing such an honor?"**

Raven had enough of this nonsense. "Night Soul, activate! **Lunar Flare!"**

Feathers twirled around him, flashing silver with fire. The akuma screamed in pain, dropping the exorcist. Raven flipped himself upright in time to see Allen falling. A dark blur streaked past to catch him, luckily.

"Lenalee, Allen!" He flew over to their sides, helping Lenalee carry Allen.

 _Pain, anger, fear, confusion, PAIN, PAIN, VeGeAnCe!_ The tide of knowing crashed into the exorcist. Something so very bright nearly blinded him from the direction of shore. He had to deactivate his eyes. The sight that greeted him was horrible. A white torso had risen from the earth, a halo above the neck and a skirt of tentacles below its waist.

"What…what is that?"

Lenalee didn't say a word. She dropped Allen and readied herself to run off in the creature's direction.

" **Innocence Second Opening – Burden, Foot Technique: Sound Shackles!"**

 _Stubborn big brother._ Allen grabbed Lenalee's hand. Raven spared a look back. The other exorcists and humans were fending off the akuma hoard. Raven soared after the two, his wings barely keeping up with Lenalee's speed.

"No way…those akuma are attacking it? It that why so many gathered?! For that white thing?"

Raven pursed his lips. The energy given off the creature…it was distorted, heavy, but recognizable.

"Lenalee, do you know something? Like why the creature seems to burn with the power identical to that of Innocence?"

Abject horror flashed in Lenalee's eyes. The creature fell forward to reveal a human within the ruined looking chest cavity.

"Suman…?" Lenalee stiffened, eyes glazed. She screamed and fell to her knees.

"What's wrong?" "Lenalee…?"

The female exorcist mumbled, "Fallen into Fault…"

"Lenalee?"

"Failed to become a disciple…" she whimpered. Tears trailed down her face. "When someone fails to become a disciple, when their synchronization rate with the Innocence is below zero, they fall into Fault. Yet, if a non-compatible continues to try, then the Innocence will exact its price for their sin of trying to synchronize with God. They don't do it anymore since brother prohibited it, but…I was there when they had those experiments to make an exorcist. That's how I know about them. But how can Suman fall into Fault…? He's a compatible… What happened to him?"

* * *

\- Crescent Moon –

* * *

As they watched, Suman's Innocence unleashed a devastating blast of destruction. It destroyed hundreds of akumas in one fell swoop.

"We…we have to do something!" cried Lenalee. "Suman has a parasitic-type as the two of you. He was a part of the Socalo Group, and no one knew what happened to him after the fight. The akuma probably gathered because they heard he fell into Fault."

The Fallen One sent another devastating ray of power. Raven hissed in pain as the rocks around them came crashing down.

"He's destroying everything in sight!"

"And if this indiscriminate destruction continues…" Raven trailed off.

"Please…we need to help!" cried Lenalee. "We…we have to help Suman!" Raven couldn't look away at that hollowed gaze.

"Hevlaska wouldn't tell me anything about the experiment I saw," she continued. "No matter how much I pleaded. The boy who fell into Fault…I don't know what befell him. I don't know anything."

" **Circular Mist Wind!"**

" **Earth Fall!"**

All three exorcists tunneled through the crowd of akuma. They flew over to where the deconstructed body of the fallen exorcist laid. Just as Allen reached out a hand to help…

"Help...Mom…Dad….Where are you…? Please…someone help me…" A little girl was buried in the chest cavity. She was being taken in!

Allen tried to grab her, but the white mass pulled him into the body as well.

"Allen! Hold on!" Lenalee and Raven tried to help, but instead Allen pulled the girl out and handed her to Lenalee.

"Please, go and take her."

Raven regarded the remaining exorcist grimly as Allen once more disappeared from sight.

"Lenalee, please and go take care of her. I'll stay here and try to get Allen back out. Right now, the little girl needs your speed, and I won't be able keep up with Dark Boots if you go as fast as possible. Don't worry. Allen is a lot tougher than he looks," assured the winged exorcist. "Go on."

He watched for a minute after Lenalee flew off. Then turned back to the Fallen One. He threw off the remainder of his gloves not torn off by the white substance and reached in. He had only a moment to register the purple light emanating from his pentacle marks before he came into contact with the Fallen One.

* * *

\- Half Moon -

* * *

/ Raven saw an image of a child - _Suman's child_ , his mind whispered – the one he gave up his life to save through a deal with the Order. She wasn't much older than himself.

Blue waters rapidly turning red with blood. Suman's comrades being easily cut down one by one by a figure. He couldn't distinguish who. Suman's emotions: overwhelming fear, desperation and a single plea – he wanted to live, to live, and to see his child one last time. /

Suman fell because he stopped fighting, and he begged for mercy from the enemy. In doing so, he betrayed the Innocence. And now the Innocence was taking its toll from Suman's wavering life force.

"Stop …Don't…STOP IT INNOCENCE!"

Raven snapped from his trance. _Allen, he was still in there._ And Raven couldn't do a thing! What kind of brother was he? He couldn't save Allen from the Millennium Earl's machinations, he couldn't fight off Road's power, he couldn't fight back against the Fallen One! _Keep walking…_ Raven stilled. Mana told the two long ago to never stop walking. By wavering in the air, Raven had just done that. He turned to the Fallen One, wings glinting in the pale light of the moon.

" **Earth Fall!"**

He dove into the monstrosity, reaching for the familiar presence within. Allen. He was trying to force his Innocence to activate. Raven reached for his brother, but at the same time, the flesh around them began to writhe. With incredible force, the Fallen One expelled the two invaders. They would have fell if Raven didn't have the power of flight.

"Ra- *pant, pant* -ven?"

"You okay, Allen?"

The older Walker got to his feet slowly. "Did you see?"

Raven could only nod. He glanced back to the rampaging Innocence.

"Want to see if we can save him?"

Both exorcists attempted to reason with the exorcist to no avail. His darkest emotions clouded his mind in pain and hate. Suddenly, the Fallen One tilted down, falling toward the village below them.

"Not good!" shouted Raven. Allen stared the younger Walker straight in the eye.

"Go," was all he said. Raven complied. He dove down to just above the village and faced the incoming disaster. He reached into the center of power as deeply as possible.

" **Silver Guardian!"**

His wings extended to their absolute maximum length Raven could risk short of 100% synchronization, green light sparking warningly from the green crosses of his Innocence. Finally, his wings became a large silver shield between the Fallen One's deadly rays and the village. It was a temporary solution, but Raven wanted to buy Allen as much time as possible.

Raven should have expected his brother to do something this stupid. Allen forced his Innocence to activate to maximum when he WASN'T AT 100% SYNCHRONIZATION! His claw expanded rapidly to hold back the Fallen One through sheer will power.

"Allen!" berated a panting Raven. "Deactivate before-!"

*Crack*

Allen's arm had begun to break down. Furthermore, the Fallen One was, too, falling apart.

Raven dropped down to where his brother laid. He knelt down and helped Timcanpy in 'encouraging' Allen to act.

*Bonk! Bite*

"OW, OW, OW, OW, OW! Why did you hit me? Even you, Tim?"

"Don't you give me that dead look, Allen. Suman is still alive, after all. And don't you dare give up after yelling at the guy for the past who knows how long. I'm your younger brother, and I just now reached Critical Point. What kind of example would you be demonstrating if you go and give up hope when I haven't?"

That did the trick. The familiar look of determination had returned. The two walked over to where the Suman could be seen.

"Hi, I'm Allen."

Raven gave a soft chuckle. Typically polite Allen to the last. "Raven here."

Tears fell from the white creature that was Suman Dark. "Please… Forgive me."

Allen's left arm lifted. Raven closed his eyes when he heard the telltale rip. He knew Allen wouldn't stop, no matter what. He arched his own black wings.

"Suman, I'm going to rip out your Innocence with my left arm. It's broken, so you must bite it when I try to pull you out."

"I'll help pull you out, too. My wings are a bit stiff after all that flying, but I can use them to help pull back while I grab hold with my two good arms."

Suman protested. He yelled for the two stubborn exorcists to let go, to give up on him. He argued that he didn't deserve to live after giving up so many of their friends and allies to the enemy.

"Stop it, Suman. We know," stated Raven, all the wisdom of a thirteen-year-old echoed in his words.

"While I'm alive, I pray for the happiness of the people surrounding me. Suman, I pray for your happiness, too," Allen said sadly.

"I-I…I want to live… I want to LiVE!"

Suman bit deeply into Allen's hand, and Raven held on tight to Suman's torso. They pulled hard the moment Allen severed the Innocence.

* * *

\- Gibbous Moon –

* * *

Pain. Lots and lots of pain shot through their bodies as they hauled Suman from the Fallen One's body. A grand explosion detonated the moment Suman parted from his Innocence.

The two exorcists fell into a clearing in the middle of a forest.

Raven's entire body ached. His wings fluttered weakly on his back. He could see the white shards of his mask strewn about the area. Besides him, he could hear Allen stirring, too. Raven dragged himself to his knees. Just a little away in the clearing was the upper body of Suman Dark. But, something was wrong. Raven's eyes activated. Only a bare shimmer of life remained. Somehow, he knew there was no one there in that broken shell.

"Allen…" Raven whispered hoarsely.

"Suman…? Suman you're alive! I- Suman…? What's wrong?"

"Allen," Raven whispered with tears in his yellow eyes, "there's nothing there. The Innocence took its price." The younger exorcist shakily got up, the exhaustion of pushing his new abilities beginning to wear him down. He folded his trembling wings close like a cloak to help center his weight.

Allen fell to his knees and screamed, "WHY?!"

"A price must be paid," mumbled Raven. "War is never pretty, and the Innocence cares not for our little problems. At least…at least he still alive, kind of."

Allen nodded. "Timcanpy, you should go and get Lenalee and the others. Suman isn't dead. We will take him back to H.Q."

His headache returned in full force. His eyes burned. He could see something else. Hundreds of little amethyst lights. The more he saw appear, the smaller the aura became.

"Brother! Allen, get away!"

Suman Dark deteriorated as black butterflies burst forth from his body. _Butterflies…_?

"Too late. Bye-bye Suman."


	8. Light of the Full Moon

Light of the Full Moon

* * *

A/N: **Read this!** I posted twice today, so read chapter 7 before chapter 8! Thanks for reading.

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks and visions /

 _/ What happened before /_

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

" **Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

Written or oral communications (i.e. golems, notes, etc.

* * *

\- A Familiar Face -

* * *

 _/ Suman Dark deteriorated as black butterflies burst forth from his body. Those butterflies…Raven gasped in horrified recognition._

" _Too late. Bye-bye Suman." /_

The exorcists froze.

"Suman…?"

Blood splattered across the spot where Suman once laid. Both exorcists slowly turned back.

"No-Noah," Allen stated, eyes wide with horror.

Raven couldn't speak. Gray skin. Golden eyes. A set of crosses, or stigmata rather. A Noah. But he also saw a face as familiar as his own, with a mole to match. If Raven didn't have sun-kissed skin, he could pass as the Noah's younger self.

Then weight of the night crashed down on him. Raven fell to his knees.

"Poor, little exorcist. Did you use up all your energy fighting Suman? Too bad. You're too exhausted now."

Tyki Mikk walked over to the winged exorcist. He glanced down at his enemy. And froze. The exorcist's face could belong to his younger self. The hair was longer and tied up and some of it was white, but he still looked remarkably like himself and Sheril. Perhaps a bit more delicate, and the eyes more angled, but Raven Walker had the unmistakable features of his family. Paired with the pendant he found shortly after meeting the shounen, and what he finally remembered for why the description of the little exorcist sounded so familiar…

"Hmm, aren't you an interesting one, little raven," mumbled Tyki. He mentally directed several of his Teez to settle on Raven Walker before turning to the rest.

"Teez, come."

The remaining golems surged forward. In two groups, they disappeared into Tyki's hands.

"My, my. Perhaps you've gotten bigger now." A much larger butterfly with a skull in the center and striped wings emerged from each hand. He kissed one affectionately.

"You…!? What did you do to Suman?! What are you going to do with Raven?!" Raven eyed the Noah warily. The gentleman looked over to Allen. The Noah was…shocked?

"Wha…?! You're Cheating Boy A?" Raven sweat dropped. Allen was definitely confused.

"Considering I'm here, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to think one of my traveling companions would be here, mister disreputable gambler," corrected Raven. "Are you here to finish the job? Suman's Innocence is right over there, and you have two weary exorcists at your mercy."

Well, Raven had to admit lack of sleep or energy tended to bring out his less than tactful side.

"I am not going to simply let you do that." Raven's wings fluttered, but the black and purple butterflies suddenly dove for him. Raven let slip a hiss as they bit at exposed skin.

Tyki chuckled. "You should be more careful. I don't want you to move, so please don't unless you want the Teez to take more bites out of you. Don't worry, though, I won't kill you, especially since I finally know where I've recognized you from."

Allen was really lost. "Why are acting this way? Do you know Raven?"

"Perhaps," smirked Tyki. He grabbed Raven's left hand. "Just as I thought. Blackbirds by your eyes and purple pentacle scarring the palms. Paired with your eyes and hair…you must be Nocturne."

"Pardon?! How could you know my name?" Raven bristled the moment the Noah said his birth name, the name he hadn't heard since his mother's death.

"Hmm. I haven't introduce myself, have I? I'm Tyki Mikk. You're given name nowadays is Raven Walker. And you called the shounen brother. Could it be that his name is Allen Walker?" asked Tyki as he leaned in close to Allen.

Big mistake. Allen swung his left arm, slapping Tyki.

"Damn you, will you listen! What did you do to Suman? Why kill him? What do you want with Raven? ANSWER ME!"

"I want some answers, too. And why are you so nonchalant when you have two exorcist before you. You should be trying to kill us."

"Haha…I probably should take better care. Your arm is made of Innocence like Nocturne's wings. What do I want with Nocturne? You see, the little raven here is one of my jobs. The Earl wants him alive for some reason. As for Suman…he is my enemy, so why shouldn't I kill him?"

"The Earl will have Raven over my dead body!" retorted Allen. Raven nodded in agreement, wincing as some of the Teez nipped. Tyki only smirked.

He took a seat in the leaf litter and pulled out a cigarette to light. "Hope you don't mind if I smoke. Neither of you seemed too concerned with your own safety, nor can you hope to escape right now – not that I had any intention of letting any of you leave. Why don't I take the time to tell you a bit about my powers, as a reward for your bravery, exorcists?"

Raven hardly had any choice here. One of the Teez fluttered dangerously near his neck and the others perched on his arms and legs. His own wings felt like lead. Tyki lit the cigarette. Raven scrunched his nose in distaste.

He listened as the Noah described how his Teez were cannibal golems designed by the Millennium Earl. The Teez bred and multiplied by eating humans – which explained why Tyki put some in Suman. Raven narrowed his eyes.

"That's not your ability," he stated bluntly.

"Oh? How can you tell?" inquired an intrigued Tyki. Bright yellow eyes met rippled amber eyes.

"Those Teez aren't gone, are they? I can see their energy, like an endless mass of fluttering purple lights within you."

Tyki chortled, "Clever little raven. No wonder the Earl wants you. You do have very interesting eyes. Now, about my ability…"

Tyki leaned over and thrust his hand through Allen's body. Raven gasped. Tyki Mikk ignored it, and continued on. He smiled gleefully as he described how he could touch only what he wanted to touch, even Allen's living heart. It was becoming painfully obvious who had killed those exorcists some days ago. Tyki confirmed it, too. Instead of fear, Allen stared resolutely ahead.

"…Not even a bit scared, are you? Aww, you've ruined my fun." Tyki got up and waved his white gloved hands. "Hmph. Fine, I won't rip out your heart. One, I rather not make it any harder to get Nocturne there to cooperate with me as it is. Two, my gloves would get all dirty if I did – that's why I usually use the Teez to eat 'em instead."

"Tyki Mikk, what makes you think you can make me do anything?" challenged the defiant thirteen-year-old in the face of impossible odds.

"Not now, little raven. I'm a bit busy. As you see, Suman helped me, so I made him into a nursery for the Teez. Now, I have few more."

Raven blinked in confusion as the Portuguese man drew out a pair of cards.

"Too bad, shounen. You know, I wanted to play another round of cards with you, and maybe with Nocturne, as well, if we all met in my white form. Unfortunately, we had to meet while I'm in my black form. I'm working on a couple of jobs, you see. I've been wandering about killing people connected to a certain someone. Speaking of which…" Tyki's smile had a sinister edge to it now, "are you Allen Walker, shounen?"

The card Tyki Mikk took out confirmed Allen's identity. Without preamble, the Noah severed Allen's arm. Raven ignored the pain of the Teez and his own body's weariness and sent a volley of razor sharp feathers at the man attacking his foster brother. But, Tyki Mikk had disappeared.

Raven had no time to react. Tyki was suddenly behind him, gloved hand wrapped around his wings. The same purple light from earlier arced into his Innocence. He screamed in utter agony as white-hot pain seared through his body. He fell to his hands and knees. And still Tyki sent jolt after jolt of energy until Raven released his Innocence and fell limply to the ground, diminished wings twitching.

Raven could only watched in horror as Tyki Mikk destroyed Allen's left arm. His stupidly noble brother sent Timcanpy away with Suman's Innocence as his last act of bravery. Instead of approaching the older Walker, Tyki Mikk knelt by Raven.

"My, my, that looked like it hurt. Sorry, little raven, but I can't have you trying to interfere." The Noah stroked his hair gently back from his face.

"Why are you acting like this?" Raven rasped through sore lungs. "You haven't really answered our questions. How did you know my name?"

Tyki Mikk's face went solemn. "I'm not surprise if your mother never told you about us. Your full _original_ name is Nocturne Sage, correct? I knew your mother since childhood. I suspect you don't know your mother's maiden name, though. It's Aurora. Aurora Kamelot."

 _Aurora KAMELOT?! As in Road KAMELOT?!_ " _What_?" replied Raven with a strangled gasp.

"What do you mean by that?" questioned Allen.

The Noah grinned. "Why, what do I mean? I think I'll leave it for you to think about for now, shounen. Now, about those jobs of mine…"

The hand Tyki Mikk had threaded through his hair tightened.

"You should sleep now, little raven, while I deal with your older brother. You probably wouldn't want to watch this."

A single pulse of dark matter energy zipped through him, but it was more than enough. His body felt too heavy; his vision flickered in and out of focus; and his continuous headaches got worse. The last thing the exorcist saw was Tyki's sadistic leer and his dark halo of purple.

* * *

\- Nocturne Sage -

*Splash* "...disappear…" "…did you just say?!"

Raven slowly blinked his eye open to witness a rather…unexpected sight. Tyki Mikk had a koi fish squirming in his hands, a skeleton of another in his mouth, and more fish skeletons to the side of him. Floating above him was the card from earlier. He must have groaned or something because the Noah was suddenly leaning over him.

"You okay there, little raven?"

…

"Are you angry at me?"

"…You zapped me into unconsciousness," deadpanned the exorcist. "Should I feel otherwise inclined?"

Tyki grinned without apology. "Heh, I did. Well, it's not like you would _let_ me disable your Innocence. You're almost at a general's level. Even if dealing with Suman wiped you out, you're still a tough opponent. Better safe than sorry. Oh, don't try activating your Innocence either. The dark matter bands around your wings will stop it."

Raven was the in process of doing that and barely suppressed a wince as a shock greeted his efforts. Then he remembered…

"What did you do to my older brother?!"

"What? The shounen? I'm hurt you care about him more than me."

Tyki's gave a Noah smile in return for the glare the younger man shot at him.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh. Impatient are you, little raven? Well, as the shounen was on my "to kill" list like I thought, I put a hole in his heart," explained Tyki.

"He's alive," moaned the floating card's prisoner. "He's alive!"

Tyki reached over with the koi fish and smacked it. "Just scrub harder! Oh, curious about this little fellow? He's Cell Roron, the keeper of the list cage."

Cell Roron looked absolutely miserable. He continued to deny Allen's death… _Wait a minute…_ "Allen's still alive?!"

"Not you, too!" groaned Tyki. "First him, now you. I put a HOLE in his heart. He wouldn't survive that."

"I survived having a something _speared_ through my heart due to my Innocence. I think Allen's Innocence may be capable of more than you think." Tyki's face turned contemplative as he processed what Raven just said.

"…Err, when did someone spear you in the chest?"

Raven's face darkened while a tide of memories clouded his eyes. "The night of my mother's death. Some akumas waged an attack on our home village, probably attracted by the faint pulse of Innocence I gave off more strongly that night. One of them shot a spike appendage from behind. The again, it was probably lured there by my Innocence activating shortly beforehand when the level 1s tried to shoot me."

Tyki grimaced. "You didn't try to…?"

"No, I didn't try to resurrect her. I may have been grief-stricken and three, but my mother had always taught me to respect the wishes of the living and the right of the dead. Maybe if it happened suddenly, but she had been sick for a while now. I knew she was in a better place with father. As a Noah, I'm surprise you didn't know how she died. Especially since you claim to know her."

Tyki Mikk winced at the last statement.

"You really are a strange child," commented Tyki Mikk, trying to change lift the depressing mood. The Noah smiled as he thought on the kid's last remark. The child was so much like his sweet and kind Aurora.

After another moment of silence, Raven finally asked the question he wanted to ask before he was _knocked_ unconscious. "How do you know my mother? Why does she have the same last name as Road?"

Tyki Mikk smiled gently. "How do I know your mother? As I said before I knew her since childhood. Or, rather she knew _me_ since childhood. Aurora Kamelot, younger sister to Sheril Kamelot, and my older half-sister. Making you, my dear Nocturne, my nephew."

Shock did not begin to describe what he felt. But it did explain a lot of things, like his eerie resemblance to the Noah in front of him, and the Noah's uncharacteristic flights of kindness.

"And I know who you are since my brother and I were informed of her death, and your disappearance from the area."

The Noah let the young man think in silence for a bit until certain people came barging in on the two.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A fine gentleman like yourself shouldn't be eating the koi from someone else's pond," taunted an approaching dark haired teen while waving a golden gun. Another teen with blonde hair and a matching gun strolled next to him. Both bore the gray skin, gold eyes, and stigmata of a Noah.

Raven started. _What, more crazy Noahs?_ He chose to address the most superficial question. "You were _eating_ the koi fish?"

"Hmm? Did you want some, Nocturne?" Raven's look of disgust was his only answer to that. Tyki shrugged.

"From the looks of it, you could do with some more protein, little raven."

"Please, do not address me as "little raven". You can call me Nocturne or Raven, but I am not that short. I'm thirteen and still growing!"

"Who's the squirt?" The dark haired teen asked with his pistol pointed at Raven's forehead. "He has yellow eyes and kind of looks like you actually… Could Tyki have an illegitimate child?"

Tyki Mikk and Raven sputtered in indignation. "Excuse me?!" "How old do I look to you freaks?!"

The teens laughed hysterically until the dark haired one finally noticed the silver Rose Cross on Raven's ragged vest.

"Why are you with a stinking exorcist?!" The gun was back at Raven's forehead. Tyki shot the two a dark look.

"Nocturne, these are the twins. Twins, this is mine and Sheril's _nephew_ Nocturne Sage, a.k.a. Raven Walker, and my prisoner by order of the Earl. Meaning, don't touch him."

"Wait, there's more of your family aside from your crazy brother? And he's an exorcist?! Why would the Earl want this guy?"

"Yeah, yeah, hi!"

The twins narrowed their eyes dangerously at the now identified Raven even as they grinned.

"I'm Devit."

"And I'm Jasdero."

"Together, we're Jasdevi!"

Raven was not impressed. "Tyki, if these guys are shining examples of the Noah Family, I think I would be worried about your side than mine."

"What was that, brat?!" warned Devit.

Raven smirked. "At least I know how to dress! I swear, one of you is going commando and the other looks like a girl!"

After Tyki separated the twins and the surprisingly hand-combat capable Raven…

"Who is that behind you, by the way?" inquired Raven lightly, one hand holding his ever pained head.

Jasdero and Devit looked over from their sulk to the exorcist. "What do you- HOLY SHIT, WHAT'S WITH YOUR EYES?!"

Tyki looked over from where he fished. "Hmm, they look a bit different than before, I think. Nocturne, your eyes seemed to have changed. You had white crosses in your eyes before but now the sclera has turned black and your irises have split into two rings."

Raven leaned over the pond's edge to confirm it. Both his eyes looked like what Tyki had described. _What is wrong with my eyes? Could it be that they evolved like Allen's cursed eye?_

"Hey, the Earl and Road said a winged exorcist had the power to see supernatural energies? So what weird thing does the exorcist see around Jasdevi?"

"Ummm…" Raven balked at the sadistic smiles the Noahs sported. "I see an afterimage, kind of, of your shadows merged and a person standing right where they come together. The person is hazy, but he looks similar to the two of you, older with long blonde and black hair."

"Interesting," hummed Tyki in contemplation. "You can see the twins' true form."

The twins eventually lost interest in Raven after the exorcist went silent, lost in his own thoughts. Raven dimly registered them bickering about something. A particular name spurred him from his contemplations.

"You guys are after master?!" Raven sweat dropped at how the twins were getting into Tyki's face and threatening him until idiotic him had to interrupt.

"Master?"

All three Noahs turned to the exorcist. Raven smiled weakly.

[Later]

Two of the Noahs and Raven sat in the rickshaw while Jasdero pulled it.

"So, you're a student of the bastard we're trying to kill?!" interrogated Devit.

"Yes, we already established that. You're probably not going to kill him any time soon."

"Ah, so the twins are assigned to kill one of the generals, who happened to be your master. Is he any good?" nonchalantly asked Tyki.

Raven paled in memory of his horrible demon of a master.

"Good? Master Cross is many things: a drunkard, a womanizer, a regular runner from debts, and a bum, but he is also an exorcist whose skills and knowledge is said to exceed all others. And he's a real demon. As his apprentices, my foster brother and I were forced to shoulder all his debts. Allen and I learned poker just to survive his collectors and for food and shelter. As for training…he's the same guy who knocked us unconscious with a hammer because he refused to return to headquarters. You're not dead, so he's probably just playing around with the two of you. That's good he is."

…

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Devit attempted to strangle the exorcist, but luckily, Tyki sat between the two.

"Quit, deliberately provoking them!" yelled Tyki as he pushed Devit off his lap. He emphasized his point by cuffing Raven on the back of his head. "Such a troublesome nephew. You're nearly as bad as Road - who's your cousin, legally, not by blood, just so you know."

Raven chose not to think too much on this new piece of information.

"You know, for an exorcist surrounded by Noah, you're unusually calm," commented Tyki.

Raven had no response. His instincts should be screaming, but he only felt pain from his headaches. Jasdero decided to return the conversation back to issue with master after a period of silence.

"You know the winged dude has a point. We failed to kill Cross three times already," he admitted.

"But Tyki also failed to kill someone," countered Devit after straightening his leather jacket. "What his face? Allen?"

 _Aaaand, Tyki looked ticked off. Again._

"Shut it. Don't you say anything, either, Nocturne."

"Oi, where are we supposed to be going anyway?" chirped Jasdero.

"Can I say something?"

Tyki lifted his face from his gloved hand and turned to the thirteen-year-old. "What?"

"We're about hit that guy standing in the- Oh. Too late."

Jasdero was completely oblivious to the guy's presence and rammed him. The rickshaw came to an abrupt stop.

"Umm, will that guy be okay? He has the same aura as the lot of you so…?"

"Who's this?" grunted the large new Noah. The rickshaw didn't have enough room for four people, so Raven was perched humiliating on his maternal uncle's lap.

"I'm Raven Walker," he politely greeted.

"He's an exorcist, hee hee," giggled Jasdero.

"He's a WHAT?!" bellowed the large man. Raven instinctively tried to shrink further away in the limited area.

"Nocturne, meet our lovable Sweet Tooth," interrupted Tyki. "Sweet Tooth, this is my target whom the Earl said explicitly NOT to kill."

"My name ain't Sweet Tooth. It's Skinn Boric! And why does the Earl want an exorcist alive? He could be the carrier of the heart."

"Heh, better be careful there, Sweet Tooth. Tyki doesn't like people threatening his little nephew there."

"Nephew?"

"Yes, he's Sheril and mine long lost nephew. And no, I don't feel like explaining the story right now," grumbled Tyki Mikk. They really didn't have enough space in the little rickshaw for _three_ people, forget four.

"What's bring you here, Sweet Tooth, anyways?" asked Devit, his gun pointed at Skinn Boric's head.

Skinn aimed a dark look at the exorcist before continuing. "I've been assigned the glasses-wearing general to eliminate. He came here. Nothing more than that!"

Raven rolled his eyes. "Froi Tiedoll? I heard about him from some of the finders and scientists. He's not the most aggressive general, definitely not like the Winters Socalo, but he isn't a pushover. Yuu Kanda is his former student, and I rather not have to fight samurai-boy again."

"You know, we're all sounding like a bunch of incompetent officer workers with no one getting anything done," remarked Jasdero.

Tyki's aimed a dark look at the blonde twin. "Speak for yourself. I managed to finish one of my jobs just fine!"

"Securing a wimp like this isn't a job!"

"Want to try saying that when I pry this band off-!"

"Hee, hee, the Earl won't be happy when he hears this!" chipped in Jasdero.

* * *

\- Legends from 7000 Years Ago –

* * *

"…so familiar." The blackness retreated once more.

"I've visited this place a few times, but that is how I feel whenever I come here. I wasn't even born here."

"Hmm, I get that same feeling, too," rumbled a vaguely familiar voice.

"Yeah, and this place is so gloomy, nothing like what I would like."

"Where are we?" inquired a groggy Raven. He kind of blanked out after his head erupted in pain (again) during the ride to wherever the heck he was. He woke to find Tyki carrying him.

"Oh good, you woke up."

Tyki dumped him unceremoniously on the ground. Raven scowled from where he sprawled. After a moment, he scrambled to his feet and began to trail Tyki. There were picture everywhere. Jasdero and Devit walked ahead while Skinn Boric came up on the rear.

"Thanks, I guess." Raven groused. "Again, where are we? This place gives me the creeps. And my head feels weirder here."

"This is-"

"This is Noah's Ark." sang someone standing ahead of them.

Raven unconsciously took a step back. The man was just as he remembered from a few months ago, if not those fateful years ago. A large man commonly dressed as a caricature of a British gentleman with grey skin, golden eyes beneath spectacles and pointed ears: the Earl of the Millennium.

"It is here that the Noah created the ancestors of humanity once the Great Flood abated. The original birthplace of all humans. I'm sure you heard this story before exorcist.

In verses 6- 8 of Genesis, it tells of when God tried to cleanse the world of corruption through a flood, but he spared a single human named Noah. Noah boarded the Ark to escape the punishment of God. Once the waters receded, the Ark came to a rest on the Mountains of Ararat. There, Noah received the new covenant and became the second Adam of humanity.

…Or so the open history says."

Raven tried to take another step back until he backed into Tyki.

"Little raven, are you afraid?" smirked Tyki. "Interesting thing to learn, isn't it? And now this birthplace of humanity has become just a factory for creating akuma."

"Yeah," sniggered Devit. "To think akumas and humans share the same birthplace. What a joke."

"Hee, hee, what a joke," echoed Jasdero.

"But soon we must leave this ark and say good-bye to Edo. For the final great battle, we must move onto an even greater ark." The Earl looked back the audience of four Noah and one exorcist. "By the way, why are you here slacking off? You have jobs to do!"

"But, Earl, I did complete one of them," defended Tyki.

Tyki, the traitor, pushed the younger man forward. The Earl of the Millennium's large grin only widened.

"Hmm, how interesting! You look just like Tyki-pon!"

"Tyki-PET?" snorted Raven. Tyki wore a long-suffering look.

"PLEASE, don't call me that, Earl. And Raven Walker happens to be my late sister Aurora's child Nocturne Sage, whom Sheril and I thought lost ten years ago. It was around the time of our Awakening, so we haven't had much time to consider the matter until the trail went completely cold."

"Awww, how sweet you manage to find him after so long. He certainly could be a miniature Tyki!" exclaimed the Earl.

"Pssshh, the Earl's right, you have an adorable little double!" snickered Devit.

Raven ignored the next round of arguments as the Earl leaned in closely to the exorcist.

"Well, well, what interesting eyes you have. I haven't seen those kind of eyes for over 7000 years. And that surnames of yours sure is compelling evidence, too." The lack of energy drain told the exorcist his eyes have definitely returned back to their normal state, so what could be surprising about them? Sure, they were _yellow_ but… Raven didn't like to think where this was going.

The four Noahs leaned in closer, intrigued by this new turn of events.

"What do you mean by that?" questioned Raven. _His head felt like it was splitting…_

"Haven't you suffered from head pains ever since you could remember?"

Raven refused to answer.

"I bet you have! I guess you can say it's because you're undergoing a kind of long-term Awakening."

"Awakening?" croaked the exorcist. Raven really didn't like the looks of comprehension on the Noah's faces. Especially after Tyki began to grin sadistically again.

"When a human host Awakens, their Noah gene, which all humans carry, begins to activate, signaling the integration of the Noah memory. Each Noah carries a memory. For example, Tyki-pon carries the memory of Pleasure, Jasdevi holds the memory of Bonds, Skinn has that of Wrath, and Road is of Dreams. You, however, are a bit different for you are the heir of the first sage.

7000 years ago, during the last great war, a strange human emerged. He possessed eyes of bright yellow, similar to ours but more natural, like eyes of a cat or bird. They actually shined like, too, and seemed to strip away a person's secrets with a single look. He also bore curious markings on his hands and face and incredible power. The man refused to take any side in the war, offering his knowledge and magic to each side at one time or another. This was possible because his natural magic was wrought of both dark matter and Innocence. You could say his Innocence is the predecessor to the heart of Innocence. Somehow, he had the unique qualities to merge and balance the two opposing powers. He was known as the first sage.

The first sage disappeared sometime during the Three Days of Darkness. But his magic lived on in his bloodline. Throughout the generations, a single member of his family would secretly inherit the magic and gifts of the original sage in addition to an instinctual set of knowledge, or so I was told. The first sage predicted that you alone would be an heir different from the rest. All sages had the same golden eyes yet yours alone would be visible to all. That's why I never met another one for so long. A sage's eyes and markings are normally only visible to those whom they give the right to see them as they are. Considering your mother is related to Tyki Mikk, I would hypothesize you inherited the gift from your father since the sage line only bears single heirs, so no siblings.

Then there is the first sage's prophecy:

The war shall approach its climax when a child of light and shadow graces the stage. Let him be marked as so, with blessing of knowledge and death. He will see the world stripped of light and darkness, seeing truth. Heed his words whether he chooses the world's salvation or its destruction, for nothing is ever what it seems.

The sages bear pentacled palms, and eye markings denoting their own unique gift of sight, which varies from generation to generation. Your eyes and raven markings point out that you are most likely the heir he described.

We of the Noah family named him and his successors the Noah of Will, the Zeroth Noah. After all, sages are very similar to Noah.

I bet you're a very lucky individual, aren't you? The Zeroth Noah possesses the power called "Luck of the Devil". Passively, you would have subliminal control over chance circumstances around you, such as when the ceiling fell and intervened when Road attacked you. Greater emotions will actually warp the world around you to suit your need. - the greater your resolve, the more extreme the effects! However, too much power use too soon would have detrimental effects on you. Which is why it's good we found you before you came into your full powers. Who knows what could have happened?

Awakening for the Zeroth takes a long time. You are technically born with dark matter and Innocence, but they usually lie dormant or partially active until the Awakening naturally finishes, or something pushes your powers to manifest. That's why you've had head pains for so long, and you have traces of your magical power. It will end once your powers manifest."

The Earl's unnaturally wide grin swallowed his face as he tittered. "Tyki-pon, I think your little nephew had enough to think about for the night. Please take him to his room, and I'll continue explaining in the morning."

The Earl told Tyki to keep an eye on his brother during his "stay" on the Ark. The stunned exorcist couldn't find it in himself to protest too much. There was simply too much going on in his head. First, he found part of his mother's surviving family. Now, he was on the verge of becoming some sort of ancient Noah sage?! And he thought Hevlaska's prophecy was bad.

Sleep did not come to the young teen until the early hours of the morning.


	9. Tolls of Midnight

Tolls of Midnight

* * *

"Dialogue"

 _Thoughts, emphasis, etc._

/ Flashbacks and visions /

 _/ What happened before /_

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

" **Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

Written or oral communications (i.e. golems, notes, etc.)

* * *

\- An Exorcist's Defiance –

* * *

*Soft music plays*

Raven took solace in the music of his flute. He sat cross-legged on the roof where Tyki had dragged him. He tried to ignore the fumes of his uncle's latest cigarette and the blindingly violent colors of the akuma gathering in Edo's skies. The music did little to soothe the exorcist's nerves.

The Earl explained that while the Noah of Will obviously didn't share the hatred of Innocence as the others, he did have the inherent power to destroy it. Also, he would have something of a double weakness in regard to dark matter and Innocence. He would be vulnerable to both energies, although the damage differed depending on his form. The only good thing about the whole affair was Raven's inability to be "swallowed" by the Noah memory. The Zeroth Noah wasn't a _true_ Noah, after all. If wasn't as if the magic would press the will of someone else on him. But that hardly made things any better. His "family" may not kill him, but anyone else, especially subhuman exorcists?

The twins and Skinn Boric stood a short distance from Tyki Mikk by the fish statue. His uncle had more or less wrestled Raven out of his exorcist clothing, and now the young man was dressed in a similarly formal manner as Tyki with a white top cut low in the back. Raven still couldn't move his wings well with the black band around them. At least Tyki had the decency to lend him a shawl (a purple one from Road's collection) to cover up his wings. This was good for two reasons. One, he rather not have Skinn eyeing them all the time with unconcealed hate. Two, the tiny wings did nothing to ward off the winter chill.

Speaking of Road… she was worse as a family member than his enemy! The Noah of Dreams had a bad habit of bowling him over and gushing about how nice it was to have a "baby cousin/brother". Raven knew in the hindbrain of his mind that Road was inexplicably a _lot_ older than him, but he hated being called a baby. It was bad enough Tyki kept calling him "little raven" all the time. And the games. Road had the bad habit of chasing him around the white streets of the ark with her floating, sharp candles or bullying him into a game of dress-up (*shudder*). His music faltered but picked back up again. _If I never see another pink dress with ribbons and jewels, it'll still be too soon._

"Yecch! To think these are just he akumas in Japan?"

"Hee, hee, there's so many! What do you think the boss is going to do with them?"

Devit and Jasdero glanced over to where Tyki and Raven sat.

"Hey, Tyki and Mini-Tyki! Why don't you scat since you're no longer needed in Japan?! Hurry up and finish your job!" sneered Devit.

"Leave your stupid master to Jasdevi!" shouted Jasdero.

"Oh, is Master Cross dead then?" retorted Raven as he set the flute down. The Millennium Earl said Raven could leave the Ark with Tyki's oversight, so they _could_ have left, but Tyki didn't look very motivated to go anywhere.

"Tyki-pon." called the Millennium Earl.

"Earl of the Millennium, please stop using that nickname," protested the Noah of Pleasure with a small huff.

The smoke wafting around the air began to annoy the captive exorcist.

"You should know better than to underestimate the Innocence. It shall do everything in its power to destroy us, for it is the devil."

Raven waved away the smoke cloud. "I'm not about the last part, but Innocence can be a stubborn thing. In the most extreme circumstances, it can and will evolve."

"Okay, okay! Sheesh, now I have _both_ of you ganging up on me? Oi, you there!" commanded Tyki to one of the level 3s. "Go use the "box" to get to China ASAP. Bring me Allen Walker."

Raven glared at his uncle, a curious mix of hate and relief, when Tyki sent off an akuma to retrieve Allen. Hate for obvious reasons, but Allen had a chance if Tyki didn't go and finish the job himself. He swatted at the Teez fluttering around him.

"What, not talking to me, Nocturne?"

Silence.

"Aww, Raven-pon isn't too happy now, is he?"

Raven refused to respond. He didn't know whether he should hate Tyki Mikk for being the bastard evil Noah, or to give the annoying jerk a chance considering how close he was to the exorcist's mother.. He fingered the recovered silver pendant strung around his neck, remembering the conversation that took place but a couple of nights ago.

/ "Okay, I can accept you are my uncle. I'm not blind enough toignore our eerie resemblance. But, why did my mother never tell me about her siblings, and why weren't you surprise she didn't tell me?"

Tyki Mikk put his book down as he carefully formed his next words.

"Your mother, Aurora-neesan, was a very special lady. She was the oldest of the three of us. We were born in a noble household; however, I was an illegitimate child born out of wedlock. Our mother, your grandmother, was widowed at a very young age, many people came to comfort her and well…we have me. But Aurora-neesan never held the circumstances of my birth against me. She treated me the same as Sheril. She even covered for me when I skipped our private lessons and convinced our parents to excuse me from future schooling – not exactly a hardship considering I wasn't a legitimate heir or anything.

Our mother was not the most maternal person. As a high-ranking noble and recent widow, she had an obligation to attend balls and parties, and to search for a suitable husband to manage our family's estates. During the intervening years, she had had an affair, and I was born from it. For a member of the elite, this was absolutely scandalous. Our mother always blamed her fall in reputation on me, but she did find a husband, one of the minor nobles who only wanted the power of her higher household name. He had quite a bit money for a minor noble, so she accepted."

Here, Tyki's face darkened in old anger, his words quiet but furious.

"Our stepfather, in a word, was a bastard. He hated the three of us. I especially didn't like the looks he gave your mother and neither did Sheril. Things got worse the longer our mother failed to produce a child until finally the doctors announce her barren. That night our stepfather took things too far. I'm not going into details, but I don't think I ever saw Sheril more murderous. Aurora-neesan…she had bruises all over his arms, but we stumbled on them before anything worse could happen. A week passed. It started small. Our stepfather stumbled into several minor pitfalls - a failed attendance here, invitations lost in the mail, no carriage on a rainy night, and so forth. Then his bad luck took a turned for the worse over the course of a year. I knew exactly what Sheril was doing and helping, but we chose to keep kind and innocent Aurora-neesan out of it."

Tyki shook his head. "It never would have worked, though. Your mother was always the most perceptive and empathic person I knew. She could spot lies and deceit a mile away after living in such an unhappy home. It was only after the nobleman met an unlucky accident that she finally confronted the two of us.

I'll be honest. I never saw Aurora more furious with the two of us than then. She never raised her voice, but I could hear the all the weight of disappointment. But neither I nor Sheril could really bring up any repentance for our actions. Maybe it was the Noah sleeping within us, but we never felt bad or guilty about making that bastard's life hell.

We told her everything. She didn't say a word after our confessions. And we never got the chance to make clean the air between us. Our mother sent Aurora away, something about the grief of being a widow once more and raising a grown daughter too much of a burden for her when she had another child in school, and the youngest one in jeopardy of becoming a vagabond. Aurora was sent out of the country, and that was the last I ever saw of her.

You probably know more of what happened next. Sheril snooped around and found out about Aurora finding a suitor during her stay abroad, but then she up and vanished. I suspect your father had something to do with it, especially if he was the sage before you. She died and here we are," finished Tyki Mikk, face solemn.

The two sat facing one another in silence for several minutes. Finally, Tyki Mikk took is right hand and reached into his coat pocket. He fished out familiar silver pendent.

"I think this is yours. Sheril had this made for you mother, you know. The engravings are of a spider, a butterfly, and a firefly. Aurora, strangely enough for a young noblewoman, had a fascination for arthropods, and she thought these insects represented the three of us best. I had the chain fixed."

Raven clutched the lost necklace to his chest. He mouthed thank you, the words caught in his throat. /

The Millennium Earl's dark presence jolted Raven from his memory of the other night. He was scolding the other Noahs. Even Raven huddled down in the face of the grinning face but less-than-amused tone. Raven's eyes easily picked out the sudden flare of a dense purple aura lit by black points of light. The dark aura of anger dissipated as the Earl went back to directing the akumas. He commanded them to attack the generals who have arrived in Edo: Generals Cross Marian and Froi Tiedoll.

 _Too scary,_ thought the exorcist, until something else pricked at his senses. _The Millennium Earl isn't only power nearby._ Raven looked off to the side where a certain steady pulse of green light approached. Also, a fast-moving pillar of flames. He leaned over to tug at Tyki's pant leg next to him.

"We might want to move."

A familiar, huge fire snake headed straight for them. The Noahs scattered along with Raven, as the snake swallowed the Millennium Earl. But not for long.

With a single contemptuous gesture, the Earl dispelled the Fire Seal.

"As if such a pathetic attack would come from a general. Why don't you come out, you little rats?"

Raven clutched Tyki's arm tightly as they balanced on top of a level 3 akuma. It wasn't like the sky had handholds! And unlike the Noah of Pleasure, Raven couldn't simply levitate in midair.

Back to the matter at hand. The flame serpent was the Fire Seal so… He looked down with trepidation. Standing below was his comrades Lenalee, Lavi, Bookman, Lenalee, and Krory. In addition, Raven could see the gentle and quiet Miranda from the rewinding town, three men, and what looked like an akuma with a strange light purple aura. All of them had steely looks of defiance, despite the really, _really_ awful odds against them. The group were discussing among themselves until someone finally took notice of him.

"Raven?!" shouted a surprised Lavi. "What are you doing with _them?!"_

 _How did he…? Oh. Bookman._ Lavi probably could spot the bulge of his wings spread out slightly under the shawl. Otherwise, it would be rather hard to identify Raven with his uncovered and unfamiliar face. Raven cupped his mouth and shouted, "Not exactly willing here! Wings are tied up at the moment. Wait a minute…what are you idiots doing here?! There are hundreds, no, _thousands_ of akuma and only four exorcists. And what happened to Lenalee?"

Lavi's expression only became fiercer. "Don't worry about us, Nightingale!"

Next thing the winged exorcist knew, two of his idiotic comrades went and charged.

One minute, Raven was gaping at their act of brainless courage, next minute his uncle chuckled, "Oh, it looks like some of your little friends came. Shall we go and greet them?" and they were off.

"Well, well, the gentleman and the boy with the eye-patch from before…how unsurprising."

Raven stumbled to his feet. "Tyki!" he hissed, "did you have to grab me and tossed me down here?"

His friends and their companions were more than a little confused.

"Raven, you look well, but how are you unhurt? I thought the Noah would kill you for sure," asked Lenalee anxiously.

"Forget that. Why is Raven acting so chummy with a Noah? I know we heard from Timcanpy of the Earl wanting Raven for something, but this is the same bastard who killed Allen!" scowled Lavi. He took a step forward. "And I am so angry right now, that I won't calm down until I smashed this guy into dust!"

Tyki Mikk chuckled. "Oh? Are you upset? Maybe you can keep me entertained a bit better than the little raven. Was the cheating boy a friend of yours? Are you angry about me killing him?" asked Tyki with a note of false concern.

"Shut up." Lavi's single green eye glittered dangerously.

"So you _are_ friends with Nocturne's foster brother."

"Shut up!" Lenalee put a hand on Lavi's shoulder, but he roughly shrugged it off.

"Oh? Was she also his friend?"

"Shut up!" Tyki's grin grew more malicious as the exorcist began to lose his cool.

"Oh, then I'm sorry. I can understand how sad you must feel because I have them, too. What you refer to as friends."

"Shut up!"

Raven had had enough of his uncle's mockery. _Quit playing with my friends' emotions!_ He kicked out at Tyki, only to fall through and lose his balance. His uncle hefted him up by the back of his collar. Tyki easily held him up as he continued taunting the red haired exorcist. After a minute or two of fruitless squirming and clawing, Raven gave up and listened to the back-and-forth between exorcist and Noah.

"I really do understand you, boy."

"Shut UP!"

"I've lost people near and dear, too."

"SHUT UP!"

"When they die- "

"SHUT UP" screamed Lavi.

"It truly feels like a part of your world dies with them," finished Tyki. "Like when I lost my dearest Aurora. But, you should worry so much, because you have other friends like the pretty girl there. Me, I have my nephew, her son Raven."

Lavi and the others stilled.

"What?!" finally choked out Lenalee. "Whose son?"

"Why, the little raven. His name is Nocturne Sage, my dear late sister's son. He disappeared about ten years ago, after akuma attack his home village. But he's perfectly fine with me, one of his last relatives. So, you don't have to be upset on his behalf. Or on the shounen's behalf either. He's alive, too."

Tyki now sported a lazy smirk, eyes filled with dark humor. "You'll probably see him soon, too. Wouldn't that be good? If you survive that is, and Allen Walker doesn't give the level 3 too hard of a time. Without his Innocence, though, the akuma should have an easy time getting him here beaten almost to death. I recommend doing your very best to entertain me until then."

Raven did not like that wide inhuman grin. He stepped back out of the way. Uncle Tyki had proven time and time again how futile it was for the captive exorcist to try and stop him without use of Night Soul. Plus, intervening was a good way to get a one-way ticket back to the ark.

Tyki Mikk played with Lavi while one of the two huge giant akumas tore through the city with their Evil Star: Gita. Without his Innocence, Raven was mostly a sitting duck if his uncle didn't phase him out of the way of the deadly dark matter rays (phasing worked only because Raven had a little bit of dark matter circulating through his Innocence and body). Even a parasitic-type wouldn't be able to take a direct hit from those with impunity.

Things seemed to be going well when BaKanda came out of nowhere to save Lenalee and the supporter from Tyki. Between him and the new dark-skinned exorcist, they managed to destroy one of the giant akuma that three competent exorcists couldn't even down for long.

Raven watched this all from the rooftop where Tyki had last dropped him off. At least, until Tyki suddenly showed up and hauled him into the air.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?!" yelped Raven.

Tyki ignored his struggles with relative ease. "Careful, or else I might drop you, little raven. You can't fly with clipped wings. And you don't want to get caught in the Earl's attack, I assure you."

At the word "Earl", Raven's gaze darted over to where the Earl _was_ and rapidly skimmed over to where the Earl now floated. A dense black sphere with streaks of purple lightning rapidly condensed in his hand before gradually, and then rapidly expanding.

"God," gasped Raven.

* * *

\- Eclipse –

* * *

Gone. The entire city of Edo had vanished into a horribly flat, glossy black plain.

"Wow," remarked Tyki. "What power, Earl. Edo's a wasteland now."

Raven desperately searched around the glassy surface for any signs of life. Ringed yellow eyes honed in on several faint traces of life, _human_ life. They survived. Raven let slip a relieved sigh, one not missed by the Noah standing just next to him.

"Oh, I see. So the humans and exorcists survived."

Raven opened his mouth to yell about the disappointment he detected, but a strange humming sent uncomfortable tingles through his Innocence. He swiveled his gaze around. A piercing green light pulsed down below. Within it, he could see the familiar life trace of his friend, Lenalee Lee. For a moment, his vision went double, the image of the astonishing green crystal overlaid with a warping green light. The sight was oddly reminiscent of something he saw before…

"Hmm, isn't that Innocence something? It's definitely a bit off," remarked the Millennium Earl.

 _I don't like the sound of that…_

Both the Noah of Pleasure and the Noah of Wrath engaged the Kanda and Lavi while the other giant akuma waged war on the remaining humans, including what was most likely General Tiedoll. Raven couldn't stand being so useless. So when the Earl targeted Lenalee himself… the destined Zeroth Noah made a mad dash for her the moment the crystal deteriorated.

Raven could feel the burn of Innocence and dark matter against his skin, but he refused to let go of Lenalee.

"Ra-Raven!" whimpered Lenalee as creepy skull-like projections attacked them before the Earl himself appeared.

 _We're doomed,_ thought the exorcist. Then he felt it. A strangely more powerful but all too familiar energy and presence that could only belong to… A figure settled down behind the two, a white claw holding off the Millennium Earl.

"Allen Walker," hissed the Earl.

"Good evening, Earl."

Both exorcists shed tears. Right behind them was Allen, a white furred cape and intricate mask giving him a truly clownish look.

"'Bout time you got here, Allen," weakly teased the other exorcist.

Allen forced away the Earl, but the Millennium Earl simply summoned up another dark energy ball. It threw Allen off him and into Raven.

"Raven," breathed Allen. Both boys knelt on the ground, the older one hauling the less steady younger boy up.

"Reunions are great and all, but the Millennium Earl does not look like he enjoyed your interference. Think you can sever some dark matter for me?" requested Raven with his back turned for emphasis. A single slash tore the bonds apart. Raven extended his wings to their fully activated length.

They didn't have any more time to talk. The Millennium Earl swung a black broadsword he created from the talking umbrella Lero. Allen's left arm barely blocked it in time. Raven darted forward, slashing with his wings. Back and forth, the three combatants locked weapons, neither side giving until the cloud of dust completely obscured the Earl from view.

* * *

\- Moon Set -

* * *

The two exorcists nearly gave the redhead a heart attack when they came out of nowhere like that. Next thing the youngest exorcist knew, a sword nearly came down on both their heads.

"BaKanda! Quit it, it's Allen and Raven!"

"What the Hell?!"

Kanda and Allen locked into a familiar stare off and round of insults.

Raven sweat dropped when Lavi attempted to break them up.

Lavi wisely backed off. Then he turned to the golden-eyed exorcist. "I never knew you looked like that under your mask."

Kanda scoffed, "You look like a Noah with those eyes. Actually, you look like that curly-haired Noah from earlier."

"Was what the Noah saying true? Are you actually his nephew?!" Raven looked away uncertainly, his fingers tangling into his few white locks.

Allen face-faulted. "What?!"

More exorcists began to gather.

"Perhaps we should take cover first and recover. I swear I'll explain," promised the younger Walker.

Raven received a mix of reactions. The sailor, Chaozii, fell silent, glaring at the winged exorcist as if it was _his_ fault for being related to a Noah. General Tiedoll and Noise Marie had unreadable looks on their faces. The Bookmen didn't treat him any worse or better, although Bookman gave him a look that said he knew Raven was leaving out pieces. And he was. He only gave the barest of facts, leaving out the bit of him being a Noah. Or technically, an adopted Noah. Allen…his older brother smiled as always, and he reassured the young teenager that his relatives changed nothing in his regard for other. This sent a shard of guilt stabbing into his heart. Raven promised to himself to tell Allen the whole truth once they could speak privately together.

Raven took a seat by Lenalee, using his wings to help cushion the injured exorcist. The general and the others discussed their situation. It didn't look good. The Black Order only had 13 exorcists left. With the threat of the Millennium Earl and Lenalee's conditions, he recommended Team Cross to leave the battlefield. Allen knelt by him after a while. She stirred.

"Allen…-kun? Raven-kun?"

"Lenalee?"

"Lenalee," breathed Raven in relief.

"It's us. I'm sorry…so sorry, Lenalee…"

"I should have tried to intervene earlier," muttered Raven. Purple eyes regarded gold and silver ones.

"Hush the two of you. Why say sorry? What are you sorry for? Are you sorry for Suman? Raven, Allen, the two of you saved him… He died as himself in the end, and died without pain. I'm sure the two of you saved his soul. Raven-kun, don't start acting like Allen-kun. You shouldn't try charging recklessly without regard for yourself. Your Innocence was chained by the Noah. You would have only gotten hurt if you tried."

She patted their cheeks. "I don't care what the Noah wants with the two of you. Welcome back…Allen-kun, Raven-kun."

A single tear slid from a golden eye. Raven leaned back with a blush. Then the two eyes widened, transforming into the odd two-ringed irises.

"Lenalee! Allen nii-san!"

A pentagram swallowed the two exorcists and drew in the others, including Raven himself.


	10. Waning Moon, First Half

Waning Moon, First Half

* * *

A/N: I finally got back to writing this. I originally was going to write the full Ark sequence, but after 4000 words or so, I thought it might be best to split it instead. So, thanks for everyone for bearing with me and sticking to this story. Still following canon for the most part until we reach the post-Ark sequence, but I do have some plans for what's going to change… and change drastically from the canon-verse.

Thanks again to all viewers, followers, and voters for your support. Big thanks to Celestial stratos, Auguste the Clown, lizyeh2000, and himekuroyuki853 for your wonderful reviews.

Remember to read, follow, vote, review and repeat.

And I do not put any claim on D. Gray-Man beyond my AU elements and Raven. If I did, we would not have such a hanging suspense between releases.

* * *

"Dialogue"

Thoughts, emphasis, etc.

/ Flashbacks and visions /

/ What happened before /

*sounds, actions*

 **Formal attack names**

" **Akuma (in their true forms) speech"**

Written or oral communications (i.e. golems, notes, etc.

* * *

\- Full Moon –

* * *

Six exorcists and one human fell into a heap. Raven hissed as someone shoved their elbow into his face.

"Ugh…" "So scary!" "We're crushing Lenalee!" "Will someone please just get off?"

"Where the hell are we?" grumbled Kanda.

"We're in the Ark!" "This is Noah's Ark" the Walkers exclaimed.

Kanda got into both of their faces. "What the hell are we doing here, then?" he spat.

Allen deadpanned, "How am I supposed to know."

Raven backed away from the two. _This again?_

"Hey! Something's crushed beneath Lenalee!"

Lero, the Earl's golem kept denying the possibility of an exit even with Mugen shoved at his pumpkin head. Then the thing projected a message from the Earl:

"How unlucky for you exorcists. This ship has fulfilled its part in this war. Nice job leading them here, Lero. I'm afraid time is short, young exorcists. In just a bit, you and the ship will be heading toward hell!"

*CRASH! BOOM! CRACK!*

Buildings and streets fell apart around them. Raven neatly sliced several chunks of debris as it nearly came down on Chaozii.

"See? The download has begun, and the world around you will collapse. This ship will soon slip between the dimensions and disappear. To put it plainly… YOU HAVE ONLY THREE HOURS UNTIL YOU ARE ERASED FROM THIS WORLD. Young lady, my, my, I must say you and such dedicated friends. So many have come…and so many to share your fate. But don't worry too much about those you've left behind. Their pain and tears will also be erased shortly.

Raven-pon, though, you have nothing to worry about. Soon, you won't have anything to hold you back from your destiny."

Raven clenched his fists tight and ignored the accusing glares sent by Chaozii. They didn't have any time for interrogations. They uselessly smashed open door after door, not a single one opening up to the outside world.

"You should listen, lero. All the exits are gone now, lero. You are all going to die here, lero."

"Ah, but there is an exit."

Raven whirled around. A familiar figure knelt by Allen.

"If all you want is just an exit, shounen." A smirk played on Raven's currently least favorite relative.

A moment of silence. Then:

"SUPER-THICK GLASSES!" shouted Lavi, Allen, and Krory.

Raven dropped his head into a hand and mumbled, "Idiots, the lot of you."

"Huh? Didn't little raven tell you?" inquired Tyki Mikk with a trace of amusement.

"Wh- Why? What are you doing here?" questioned Allen.

"Hey," remarked Kanda, "You might want to be on guard, 'cause that guy is giving off an a lot of killing intent," observed Kanda with the same air of indifference.

Tyki Mikk chuckled, "Shounen, tell me, how did you survive…?"

Raven glared as the older man head-butted Allen with a curse.

"Thanks to you, I had to put up with what those brats and the Earl said. Even Nocturne there corrected me!"

Seeing the confusion in his brother's eyes, Raven explained, "Allen…everyone here has already met this guy, isn't that right, Uncle Tyki Mikk?"

To answer, the Noah resumed his other form, glasses falling through his head and disappearing.

"Heh, I guess Raven didn't have time to tell you this little detail, eh? Like I said before, I can give you an exit out of here. The Ark doesn't have an exit anymore, but with Road's ability, we can make some more."

A checkered heart door rose from the ground. Raven eyed it suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

Tyki Mikk smirked. "Perceptive as ever, little raven. Road is the only Noah who can freely move through space without using the Ark. If you want an exit, then why not continue where we left off on our game. The stakes will be the "exit" against your "lives." Except for my dear nephew, of course," chuckled the Noah darkly.

Raven flared his wings in warning the moment Tyki Mikk made a move toward him. The Noah laughed again and stepped back toward the door, his hands held out in acquiescence.

"Not going to make this easy, huh? That's fine. You can play, too, then. You guys can keep the little raven with you, but if you lose, I'll be taking him with me. He's more my family than you. But remember, you two Walkers will be playing fairly this round."

"But all is fair in love and war," countered Raven.

"We'll see," the Noah chuckled darkly. He took out an iron key and balanced it on his finger. "See this key? It will unlock Road's door out of here as well as the three doors leading up to it. Get through all the doors and their guardians and you win. If you can't… well, I think you understand what that means." Tyki gave them a feral grin before flicking the key in Raven's direction. The exorcist snatched it out of the air with a growl, not at all pleased with the possible outcome of the game. But he couldn't do anything about it, not when only one Noah had the power to fully control the Ark.

*Crack. CRASH! *

One of the many towering buildings collapsed, hundreds of tons of masonry smashing right where Tyki Mikk stood.

"Tyki!" gasped Allen.

"Did he die, then?" asked Lavi plainly.

Raven picked himself up from the rubble and shook his head.

"Don't worry, he's fine. Uncle Tyki's a Noah. They're pretty durable compared to _Homo sapiens sapiens_ ," explained the gold-eyed boy.

"Little raven isn't wrong you know," laughed the Noah from afar. "Okay, the door will be at the top of that tower over there. Since I like you guys, the first door won't be guarded. But you might want to hurry. Remember, to win you have to get through all the doors before the whole place collapses."

"Exactly how is anything fair?" pointed out Allen. "Aren't Noah practically immortal?"

" _Ahahahahahaha!_ Sorry about the whole building thing. But really? You haven't talked to Nocturne yet, have you? Lad, we are humans, too. Members of _Homo sapiens_ and all that like little raven implied. But if you think we seem a bit immortal to you, maybe it's because you guys are so weak!" laughed the Noah. His laughter rapidly diminished as he disappeared from their hearing.

"Great relatives you have there, Naichingeru," remarked the samurai as he sliced through more falling rubble.

All six exorcists and the supporter managed to escape to a more stable area.

*Huff, huff* "What now?" gasped the sailor as they stopped temporarily to regroup.

"Chaozii has a point," agreed the redheaded exorcist. "We have only three hours to escape this place and four doors to find along with their guardians." (Two hours actually, lero).

"Say, Raven, how well do you know that Noah? Can we trust him to keep his word?"

Raven went silent as he thought. "Keep in mind, I've only known the guy for a few days. I think he would keep his word, but Noah in general can be sadists and manipulators. But Road's ability is genuine. I can see parts of her within this key, so it definitely linked to her ability. How, I can't really say."

"Shit," cursed Kanda.

Lavi shook his head and sighed, "I guess we don't have any other option, do we?"

"But I think I can help with finding the door." When Raven focused, letting his eyes go ringed, he could see the ultra-thin wisp but distinctly dark purple of the Noah of Dreams' aura. The thread connected from the key off to hopefully one of her doors. The teen grinned and gestured for them to follow him.

"Wait, wait, how can we trust this guy? He's related to the Noah! He could be one of them for all we know!"

Raven resisted the urge to flinch, but by the considering glint in Lavi's eye, he may not have completely succeeded.

"Enough! We don't have much choice. I trust him, why can't you?" pleaded Lenalee. The Chinese supporter deeply frowned but finally gave a nod.

"Fine, but I'll be watching you!"

They ran. Block after block of city roads crumbled and broke around them. Finally, they reached a door glowing with the same light as the key. Without hesitation, Raven shoved the key into the lock. The door shined and morphed into something more to Road's girlish style and fantasy.

"Wow," exclaimed the Bookman.

Allen turned to their companions. "I swear, we'll all make it out of here somehow," the whitetette vowed. He put his hand out in front of him. One by one (with the exception of Kanda) the group agreed to the sentiment. Raven prayed to whatever deities existed. _Please, please let us make it out alive. I don't care if they hate me at the end of this…I would be content if we all make it out with our lives and minds intact._

* * *

\- Gibbous Moon -

* * *

They stepped through…and entered a garden under a truly fantastical sky.

"What kind of surrealist painting did we enter?" mused Raven aloud.

"Fairly certain this isn't 'outside' per se," agreed Lavi with a hum as the Bookman peered up at the purple-black sky. Nothing really moved, giving away the artifice.

Kanda suddenly stopped. Raven arched a golden eye and peered further into the darkness.

"Kanda…?"

"Be quiet."

"Allen, I'm going to have to agree with our resident emotional samurai." Because a familiar aura of dark purple veiled the ominous figure standing ahead of them.

"You guys go on ahead," ordered the exorcist, drawing his blade slowly.

Everyone else gaped. "What?!" "Excuse me?" "Pardon, Master Exorcist?"

"I said, SHUT UP. This guy is the same one who was after my general. We met him a few times before coming here."

"But Kanda! W-we can't just leave you behind like this! He's a Noah!"

"I don't want you people to get the wrong impression. I'm not doing this for any of you. Like I said before, this guy is after my general, so I'll finish my mission by taking him down," chillingly pronounced Kanda, steel biting in his voice.

The others began to argue, but Raven just nodded his head. He peered out to the large, blocky Noah. Gray skin, gold, rippled eyes, and a smirk. _Typical of these arrogant, "superior" humans_ thought Raven offhandedly. No matter what the Earl or his uncle said, Raven believed no one was "better" than another person, only different, and the Noahs saying otherwise always annoyed the hell out of the winged exorcist.

"Skinn Boric. That's this guy's name. Be careful. His aura…fluctuates wildly around him." That was an understatement. The Noah's aura was primarily a heavy drape of purple and black, but Raven's eyes had evolved further. He could see the finer bits of purple energy flickering in and out of existent. It was as if the Noah stood in the center of storm cloud.

"Stick with distant attacks if you can manage. It could be…bad if you attacked this guy with Mugen's blade directly. I can almost see ropes of energy crawling just above his skin. I really don't like how his aura seems almost sent-"

"I did not ask for your opinion, Naichingeru," snapped the swordsman. As if to punctuate his point, the earth began to shake.

"E-earthquake…?" mumbled Allen.

"Yeah, I guess this is proof we are still in the Ark," noted the Bookman with a sweat drop.

"Correct, exorcists, lero. This room simply has not been fully downloaded yet, lero. The tremors you feel are just the prelude, lero. Once Road is finished scanning the data, the whole room will vanish like the city outskirts, lero!"

Raven casually leaned back enough to flail a wing right in the pumpkin's face. Lero huffed around a face full of feathers.

The next scene didn't really surprise Raven. His dear older brother tried to do the noble thing and stay, Kanda got mad and attacked, and the whole group fled the raging insect swarm.

Lenalee stopped several feet away from the brooding exorcist. She called out, "Kanda! You know you have to follow after us…right?" Silence met her inquiry. The Chinese exorcist pouted and screamed, "ANSWER ME, KANDA-BAKA!"

"Okay, okay, I got it. Just hurry up and go. Naichingeru."

Raven paused, hand on Lenalee's arm and half turned away from Kanda.

"Yes?" he asked warily.

"Make sure Lenalee, Moyashi, and the Bakana Usagi actually make it to the door."

Raven smirked. "Hey, they're all older and wiser than me, shouldn't it be the other way around, Bakanda?"

"Just do it."

A smile was his only answer to that.

"Are you done whining and crying?" grumbled the Noah. The purple-black aura now had wide arcs of blacked edge amethyst arcing in jagged streaks. The air became heavy with the scent of ozone. "Now, will you guys fucking shut up?!"

The Noah's form distorted, becoming larger, twisted, and serrated. He didn't look anyway human anymore.

"Steady, Mugen," assured the exorcist.

"Thunder. Thunder. Thunder! THUNDER!"

" **Eight Flower Mantis!"**

"Over there! I see a building, sir exorcists!"

"Kanda, you better keep that promise," swore Raven softly under his breath. His brother had the same sentiment.

"Bakanda! If you don't meet up with us, I'll kick your ass!"

The answer is oftentimes the most obvious. _And how much more obvious can they get than a door marked "Noah"?_

The door closed behind them with a soft thump.

* * *

\- Half Moon –

* * *

His head throbbed. The pain hadn't relented since Tiki Mikk first stole him away. But now it did. Or rather, it took a backseat to the waves of sorrow.

"Raven?"

The exorcist nearly jerked away when he felt a cool hand wipe at his face. Lenalee. Her hand glistened where it touched his cheek. He brought his own hand up. Tears tracked down his face in a relentless but steady rate.

"Are you that worried about Kanda, Nightingale?" inquire Lavi jokingly, the humor falling a bit flat with the edge the Bookman couldn't quite erase.

"…I don't think he's coming back anytime soon," mumbled Raven quietly, more to himself than to the others. He quickly grabbed the bottom of his shawl, averting his eyes from the others as he dried his face.

"Don't worry. Kanda is a very competent exorcist," reassured Lenalee. _Your aura says differently_ Raven couldn't help but think to himself. The group continued quietly on. At least, quietly until a distinct crack echoed behind them.

Raven and Allen turned their head back.

"Allen…? Raven?"

"Guys, start get out of here. Now!"

Raven extended his wings, snatching Allen up as the floor underneath them gave way.

"What the hell?!" screamed the others.

"Less gawking, more running!" shouted the exorcist.

That finally reached them. Lavi, Lenalee, Krory, and Chaozii scrambled to find purchase as they ran across the rapidly deteriorating floor. Allen dropped down to the floor to help the others get away. The Chinese sailor Chaozii tripped and nearly fell to the ground except Raven dived down and plucked him from the crumbling ground.

"Let go!" yelped the man. An irritation mark popped up on Raven's forehead, but the exorcist relented. Allen extended the **Crown Belt** to help keep the sailor steady as the group raced to the exit. Luckily, Krory had a dose of akuma blood to bolster his speed.

The vampire gave the winged exorcist a bloody smile. _Understood._ Together, the two grabbed the others, Krory had Lenalee and Lavi, Raven took Allen back into the air with Chaozii dangling from Crown Clown. Without a word of warning, the two darted forward with dazzling speed.

"KROOOORRRY!" "RAAAVEN!"

The two skidded to a halt within what appeared to be a library.

"A little word of warning would be nice, guys," complained Lavi as he helped the two other males up from where they were ungracefully dumped. "And, where are we? Not that I mind this room."

"Quite a collection of books," noted Krory.

"Looks like a library, doesn't it? Not too shabby and nice and quiet."

"I doubt we're alone here," cautioned Allen. The two Walkers shared a wary glance. _Where was the guardian?_

"Hehehehe."

The exorcists and human supporter jerked around toward the impressive display podium. Two Noahs idly sat on top of it.

"Hello there, exorcists," greeted the dark-haired twin.

"Hehehe, hello exorcists," hissed the blond. Both boys had their pistol facing the other.

"Name's Devit…" began one.

"And Jasdero!" completed the other.

With one voice, the Noah cried, "Together we are Jasdevi! The Noah of Bonds!"

"Master Jasdevi…? Why are you not completing your mission, lero?"

"Shut it, you pumpkin head," snapped Devit. "Maybe we didn't feel like it with sub-humans crawling all over the Ark. We're not in a good place right now, so don't push it Lero. Allen Walker! Raven Walker!"

"Umm…me?"

"…what?!"

"We have nothing personally against the two of you – aside from being sub-human exorcists – but your master had pissed us off for the last time! He's not here, so we'll have to take our anger out on you, his pupils!"

"Seriously? This again?" protested Raven.

"… **Divine Punishment!** "

 _Maybe I should watch what I say_ reflected the exorcist as the attack tore through the air.

 **Blue Bomb** exploded in ice, and the **Red Bomb** burned red hot. But four out of six of them were fully capable exorcists. They just managed to escape the blast radius by the skin of their teeth.

"Ugh! What is with these attacks? Are their guns changing?"

"Silly exorcist!" sneered Devit. "Not the guns but the bullets have changed."

"They have some sort of ability like Tyki Mikk," concluded Allen.

"Remember guys, they're the Noah of Bonds! They have one power, or rather a power shared between the two of them," warned Raven as he fluttered out of the way of another explosion.

Lavi grunted as the next explosion flung him back to the shelves and replied, "Okay. Their minds are connected somehow to their _shared_ power. But what is it?"

"Brother, wait a moment. I have a question. If we take either or both of you hostage, would Cross come after you?"

"No way," the Walker brothers deadpanned.

"Hahahaha, such an honest answer! I guess you guys really don't put your master in very high regard."

"Only for subjects outside of women, wine, and akuma killing," replied Allen.

Devit pursed his lips and sighed, "Okay. I guess we'll continue the game then. If Cross truly doesn't care, then Jasdero and I can kill all you exorcist at our leisure."

"Yeah, yeah! Leisure!"

 _How did I end up here?_ Bemoaned Raven. Somehow or other, the Noah twins of Bonds had completely covered the exorcist in a thick, gummy substance once it became clear the **Purple Bomb** had little effect on his ability. So, to keep up the game, the Noahs gagged, blindfolded, and encased the exorcist.

/ "Tyki would kill us if we actually maimed you, so why don't you stay still little songbird?"

"Yeah, yeah! Still, still, still." /

This effectively left the others at the Noahs' mercy. They had to hope Lavi could find the key in time. As for the others, Jasdevi didn't sound like they were pulling their punches all too much. Nor was Krory.

*Thump!*

"Krory, dammit!"

 _What in the world?_ Raven couldn't see with his eyelids sealed closed, but his hearing worked perfectly well enough to hear Krory apparently using Allen as a makeshift projectile weapon. Crude, but effective if his instinct managed to land an actual hit on the two.

Unfortunately, it sounded like their victory was short-lived. The winged exorcist shuddered as he heard the squelch of something really large and probably gooey.

"AAAAAAAaaaahhhh!"

"What the hell?!"

"Aargh, it's no use! It doesn't even so much as flinch when I bite it!"

"Go, Jasdevi's Grudge! Devour those exorcists whole!"

"Allen! Krory!"

"Lenalee, stay back!"

*Thump*

"Mmph!"

"Oh, what's this? A helpless little exorcist?"

 _Lenalee!_ Raven redoubled his efforts to scrape the goop off him. He could feel a slight stirring of the air off. One of his wings finally broke through.

" **Dark Skies: Eclipse!"**

By the sounds of things, the twins had set some sort of fake earl on Allen and away from them. The only one near them then was Lenalee. Since they had seemed to somehow trapped his fellow exorcist, she should be safe enough from the black feathers flung towards her.

"Kya! What the hell is this?"

"Aah! Jasdero can't see no more!"

 _You guys better act fast!_

*Smack! Thump*

"You bitch!"

"Thanks Raven for the hand," called out Lenalee. In response, Raven fluttered his one free wing.

*Clatter of keys falling to the ground*

"Hey, guess what? You can't see us, but WE CAN SEE YOU!"

"Whoa, Krory and Allen have a mean right and left hook."

Raven's left wing flailed in surprise, beating against the redhead.

"Owowowow! Chill, just trying to pry the gunk off."

Unfortunately, during the time it took the Bookman to help free Raven, Jasdevi had finally decided to show their true colors.

"No more games. It's time we took things seriously and _eliminate_ these exorcists."

 _Lavi, hurry up and get this gag off!_

The tearing of the blindfold took a bit of skin cells with it. Raven blinked as the light from the opened door lit up the ground below him. Lavi knelt by him, hand already going to the last bit of goop.

*Rip!*

Raven bit back a hiss of pain. The air had turned dank and oppressive. He looked down. Jasdevi had their pistol out to one another and recited an odd bit of poetry.

*Bang!*

Their dark aura dripped to the ground behind them. The strange phantom the winged exorcist had glimpsed when he first met them was also merging with the dark whirling energy. Jasdero and Devit turned to hazy purple smoke (to his eyes). One quickly reforming behind the trio.

Raven croaked out, "Allen, Lenalee, Krory, watch out! The true Jasdevi is coming out!"

"The true what?"

"Guys, don't just stand there! Move!" shouted Lavi.

*Splat!*

Jasdevi was the fleshed-out version of the ghostly image Raven had seen hovering behind the two whenever they stood together. The new and improved Jasdevi had single handedly wiped out their strongest fighter with one blow. It was horrifying. The more logical side of his mind picked out how this explained the fragmentary aura of the individual twins.

Jasdevi blocked Allen's assault with ease.

"Hmph! The vampire deserved what we did to him, to think he had the nerve to mock us! And why are so upset? I'm sure he's more than thrilled to be soaked in blood?"

"Aargh!" Jasdevi pushed off Allen before placing a hand on him.

"Hmm, what's the best way to punish the wayward student? How about…ah, yes, why don't we make you into a 'bomb'?"

Before Raven knew it, he had launched himself at the two. Arystar Krory broke the strange star pinning Allen in place for Jasdevi while Raven himself crashed into the Noah with **Earth Fall**.

"Wretched songbird, vampire," hissed the Noah. He ignored the pummeling of wings and threw off the exorcist. Raven's back slammed into a nearby bookshelf.

"Do not call me a vampire…! I am Arystar Krory, former baron, exorcist, and their friend."

"Ditto," muttered Raven. "Raven. Just two syllables. Not a songbird. Raven I am and always will be."

All the brave declarations in the world didn't mean a thing in the wake of a Noah's temper. Jasdevi's strength far outstripped a handful of injured exorcists plus one human (who had hidden during the battle). The pounding ache in his head made it hard to dodge as well as he usually did, and the Noah kept up his relentless assault on them. _What can we do against this monster? One imbued with a body as strong as he desires?_

Then…then Krory pulled out the noble sacrifice card. An overconfident Jasdevi didn't predict the hair tug maneuver. Or, Krory's grab to give the group time to flee.

"Raven, Allen, Lavi, get them all out of here! Hurry through the door while I hold him off!"

Spikes pierced the exorcist's body. At the same time, the world around them began to toss and turn.

"Krory…"

"Raven! Lavi! Allen! Listen, this room is falling apart! None of us can remain here much longer. You have to leave me behind!"

The thirteen-year-old exorcist forgot about his training. His years of hardship, of maturing beyond his years. Back to the kid he was, barely a teen. Kanda was one thing. The samurai had a steely core undeniable and at the same time absolute. It compelled the belief the baka would survive no matter the odds. But Krory knew the odds and didn't deny it. He wanted them to survive for his sake, as a final wish.

He couldn't speak. It was only when Allen tried to stay behind, too, that he regained his senses. He put a hand to Allen's shoulders and shook his head in time to Krory shouts for them to go on.

"Allen, Krory's right. We can't stay. And Krory can't continue on. Lavi can't protect Lenalee and Chaozii on his own, and I won't abandon you here. Have faith in Krory's courage and will."

"Hurry up and listen to your elders! I believe in all of you, so go! Head to the door!"

Shining light poured from the cracked tiled floor. When it dissipated, the four exorcists and one human had disappeared, leaving the apostle of Innocence to face off against the apostle of Noah alone.


	11. Waning Moon, Second Half

Waning Moon, Second Half

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the wait! Been busy with college, graduation, and other stories. Happy New Year's everyone.

Here's thanks to all my loyal readers, followers, and voters! Double cheer for my reviewers, lizyeh2000, Auguste the clown, ZooFan, guest [chaos], sarahgri99, and guest!

Also, thanks for the idea Auguste the clown.

* * *

Crescent Moon

* * *

Things were pretty quiet after they fled the deteriorating library. An uneasy quiet, though. Raven looked over to Lenalee with worry when she flinched after putting her foot down a bit too heavily.

"Lenalee, are you alright?" fussed Allen.

"D-don't worry about me, Allen-kun. I can manage just fine," the Chinese exorcist replied, visibly steeling herself as she deliberately marched up the stairs. Raven drew to her side and pulled down on her other side.

"Lenalee, we all know you're made of tougher stuff, but please indulge in our fears for a little bit. It won't do any of us any good to tire ourselves before we reach the final hurdle," Raven stated, upping his volume for the benefit of everyone's hearing.

"Raven-kun, Allen-kun, thank you for looking after me," Lenalee stated quietly after a moment, "and you're right, I don't want to be thought as a burden. But, I acknowledge my own weakness, too. I don't have much room to protest when I can hardly walk without Allen-kun's support, can I?"

The depreciating smile the exorcist threw the others surely pulled on all of their heartstrings. The akuma was lucky it was no longer of this world if it put such a look on the delicate yet strong teen's face.

The ever dependable(-ly goofy) Lavi tried to lighten the mood, distracting Allen with thoughts of where Timcampy had flown off and his usual perverse behavior.

The winged-exorcist frowned slightly as he felt the older teen's aura darken and twist with fear and despair.

"Lenalee…? Don't worry, we're here. Together, we're strong enough to fight whatever the Earl and Noah Clan throws at us."

Lenalee blinked at the shining yellow eyes looking up at her with determination alongside an equally unwavering pair of silver ones. The Dark Boots user nodded her head in acknowledgement, a faint smile replacing her look of hopelessness. _I have to believe…believe everyone will be alright! Believe in the power of my friends, my family…!_ "I have keep trying!" she said aloud.

""Keep trying?"" questioned Lavi and Allen.

"So, you really are pushing yourself!" Allen accused with a frown on his face.

Lenalee chuckled nervously, "No, no! I just thinking about the future. I'm considering about returning to basic training once we go back to the Order…"

"That's a crazy thing to do!" Lavi whined. "I know the first thing, I'll do when we get back! I'll go to sleep for a whole day! You should have positive thoughts like that, Lenalee, not silly ones like more training! If you get all buff and stuff, between Komui and that, you'll never get a lover. Sleep is great for keeping up a sexy look, you know!"

Raven snorted in amusement as the redhead was beaten up by Allen _and_ Lenalee.

"Hey, it's none of my business," huffed Lavi in-between beatings, "but what will you guys do when we get back?"

The whitehead craned his neck to the side as he thought and unabashedly stated, "I'll eat. Everything that Jeryy can make, from entrées and snacks, to soups and salads and desserts, I'll eat every dish imaginable from the cafetaria!" avowed the fifteen-year-old. "What about you, Raven?"

"Me?" All eyes turned on him. The teen smiled in thought. "To be honest, I'll be happy enough to watch all of you enjoy yourselves. I like people's auras best when they're happy and content."

"Pfft," the supporter couldn't help but express, " _Hahaha,_ sorry…but you exorcists are really different. Different than what I imagined exorcists to be like. With you guys laughing and talking together like this, you seem really similar to ordinary folk like me."

Raven cocked his head to the side. "And why shouldn't we be anything else? We're all humans, regardless of special powers or anything. No one knows why the Innocence picks certain people over others, and I doubt we'll ever find out why. Some people are saint-like while others just try their best to help. In the end, we're people trying to live in this world, aren't we?"

Chaozii's aura closed off like before when the Noah exorcist interacted with him, but the supporter didn't physically withdraw from him at least, not even so much as a cringe. _I suppose he gave up on that since his life depends on a bunch of people who like an anomaly like me. And I am an exorcist by all rights._

"Well, I've always been told exorcists are the apostles of God. That made me think you guys must be very different from common folk like me. Yet, you joke and laugh…and talk about how you feel uncertainty and fear…?" Chaozii's bandaged hand fisted tightly against his sling. "To think, people like you can also feel and act like this…?"

The supporter looked wide-eyed as Allen walked up to him, placing a hand on the one clenched around the sling. The look on Allen's face said it all. _Don't worry, we're here._

Raven unconsciously sighed as Chaozii's aura calmed.

Allen turned and looked ahead at the doorway separating the stairway corridor from the next area. "One more…we have one last obstacle to surmount just beyond here. Then we can all definitely return home!" Tone softened. "Chaozii, try and remember fun things, too. It'll make you feel better, if you do. Don't let those kinds of thoughts overtake you. Everything will be all right."

The animated umbrella leaped into the air and started to mock them, only to be struck down by Raven's wing mid-rant.

"Shut up, Lero."

Allen nodded to the younger Walker. "The thing I want most of all to do when we get back is to say "I'm back" to Komui and the rest. And then for them to welcome us home."

"It might be a little naïve of us to thing of such whimsical things," Raven admitted, "but it doesn't make the sentiments any less in our hearts. You say this situation is hopeless? I don't think so."

"And even if you still believe that, I'll keep believing in that faint trace of hope still remaining," Allen affirmed. "No matter how bad things get, I will never give up. I'll keep walking."

Allen flashed a smile so pure, Raven felt dazzled. How long since Allen really, really smiled so genuinely? _Not since Mana died. Not since we had no one but each other's backs_. The others felt the same, stunned and still even as Allen marched ahead of them. It was beautiful; it was unnerving. A light so bright and clear, but all light eventually flicker out and die just as suddenly.

* * *

The moment Allen crossed over the boundary, something – no some _one_ – flung themselves at him.

"Allen~!"

"Road?!"

*Smooch*

Raven choked before going into full snickering mode. " _Hahahaha!_ Didn't think you returned Road's feelings, Allen-niisan! What would you say? Too soon to say, "welcome to the family"? Although, you're already my older brother…ah, you know I'm kidding Allen, ow!" The whitehead had not problem thumping the younger teen on the head.

As for their hosts…

The Noah looked pretty surprised himself, face still slacked with shock. "Road…what do you think you're doing? Do you really care so for that exorcist?" The Noah of Pleasure shook his head in disbelief before clearing his throat. "Well, Shounen, I hope you know if you have any designs on my niece, you'll have to get through my older brother and Road's father."

Road shoved away the possessed pumpkin umbrella, unheeding of the lecture the strange golem gave her as she merrily skipped back over to the "older" Noah. Raven was almost certain Road was more than what she seemed, especially as the seer could now get a sense of almost airiness about the child-like Noah, as if she wasn't really there. And the Noah aura remaining felt weighty and oddly older than the ones carried by all the other Noahs save for the Earl himself.

"Seriously, though, you usually don't act so affectionate with anyone but the Earl or the little raven here."

"Tyki-pon, no matter what you say, I won't give you a kiss, either."

Raven had to give his older brother props…Allen recomposed himself after sputtering out denials shortly. Tyki invited them to sit down for dinner, but the exorcists refused. Allen's curt reply was specifically, "I'll have to decline. If I sit down to eat, I would prefer to take my time if I have it."

Tyki's smirk deepened as he gestured with his cutlery. "Speaking of time…aren't you curious about how much you have left?"

Road had somehow slipped away to the top of the windowed archways. "Yeah, you guys should take a look outside. Isn't it breathtaking?"

A double entendre, for most of the Ark was gone but for the land immediately surrounding the tower. Everyone froze as the realization of their friends' fate hit them all.

The doors they exited were slammed shut and chained. "Sit down," the small and frightening Noah demanded of them.

Tyki chuckled at them and challenged them to sit down…unless they were scared?

Allen took him up on that, slamming a clawed hand down as he took a seat at the opposing end of the table. Everyone else went to sit down, Lenalee next to Lavi, Raven next to Chaozii. The supporter glared once but understood the arrangement; he and Lenalee were the weakest members without an accessible Innocence.

"Good, good. Shounen, why don't we take the time to chat for a bit? And quit making those faces," Tyki sighed.

Raven scowled harder.

"Nocturne, don't you trust in my word? I promised no cheating. That means, no traps, no lies, no backstabbing."

"Yeah, lighten up, cousin," Road giggled as she took a seat on Allen's chair arm. She went to hug the scarred exorcist tightly as she announced in conspiratorially tones, "Everything all set up, you know. At the topmost floor of the tower, my door is prepared and everything!"

"Road! The Earl won't be happy to hear about any of this!" Lero moaned.

They all ignored the annoying tool. "It would also be nice to know if it leads outside as well," Allen asked politely.

" _Fufufu,_ aren't you clever?" smirked the Noah girl – whom Raven really doubted was a little girl by how heavy she felt compared to every other Noah not the Earl of the Millennium.

"Enough. What is it that you've come here to discuss Lord Tyki Mikk? Or should I refer to you as Mr. "Sticky-fingered and immoral orphan and tramp"?" Allen blatantly stated with an even tone and unchanged face.

"Hey now, no need to take such a frigid tone with me, Shounen. It isn't everyday when an exorcist can strip a Noah down to their underwear. Was that your first time? Or do you think destiny meant for us to meet on that train?" preened the nobly-dressed Noah.

Allen wasn't falling for the Noah's pleasant tone. "Not really. Like I told you, Raven and I don't lose cards. We've each stripped tons of people to their underwear, Raven more than I."

Raven huffed, "It's the face. Masked or not, people always lower their guard around me more than you. They see little old me and think I'm an easy target."

"So you admit you're short."

"And you look like an old man," Raven shot back without preamble.

"My, my! Such a bold and dark thing to say, Shounen! I have to remember to tell this to Sherrill, my dear wet tissue of a brother would probably lose it when I do tell him, though."

Allen shook his head and brandished his left clawed arm. "Tyki Mikk, let's get to the heart of this. Is this about this Innocence?"

The mood turned decidedly dark, the exorcists and supporter tensing as the light in the Noahs' eyes turned dark even as they shone with malice.

"…perhaps I'm a bit interested in it," Tyki chuckled, corners of his mouth going up into a smirk. "I'll be honest and say seeing it whole and in a new form was quite the shock. I definitely remembered breaking it down."

"Perhaps," Allen admitted, "but you couldn't break it down completely. After all, it's right here."

"But for how much longer?"

Raven's eyes narrowed, and he leaned a bit closer to Allen.

"Wow, Tyki. Do you think Allen's Innocence is all that special?" inquired Road lightly.

"Perhaps it is. So, anyway, Shounen, why don't we move onto a related subject? Like the fact that you're also not only still an Accommodator…but how you somehow survived. I was sure my Teez ate a hole in your heart like I said it would. Did that Innocence of yours have something to do with it?"

The raven-blue-haired teen stilled completely. Then yelled, "A HOLE IN YOUR HEART?! UNCLE, IF I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-!"

Tyki grimaced, fingers plugging up his eardrums as his nephew went on a rant alongside the others at the table.

"Sheesh, calm down, little raven! He's alive now, isn't he?"

"THAT DOES NOT MAKE THIS ANY BETTER!" Raven knew his uncle must have done something bad to Allen if he left his older brother for dead, but the younger boy didn't even imagine it would be something as drastic as a FREAKING HOLE in his heart! He knew Allen and he as Parasitic users could survive a crazy amount of damage compared to every other user and human, but direct damage to a vital organ? Much less a heart? He stopped to glare at Allen who kept this little tidbit quiet until now.

"Guys, guys! There's nothing to worry about now. Part of my Innocence became a part of it, so it's not a problem anymore," Allen tried to soothe them.

… _what?_ How could Innocence do that? Then again…maybe it was part of Innocence evolving and all that? Raven could tell that much from how similar the pieces held by Lenalee and Allen felt to the time Allen's Innocence originally gained the power to transform into a more powerful form back in the ghost town.

A slight buzz interrupted his thoughts. _Road must be using telepathy with someone…but who?_

"Road…don't you think it's time you let go of the Shounen?" Tyki Mikk pointed out while lighting a cigarette. Raven's nose scrunched up, but he was gradually being desensitized to the smell.

What really worried him was how the atmosphere began to stir with energy and ill intent.

"Wah! But I love him!" cried Road. _False…sort of?_ Her frankly intimidating and dark aura, while a bit vague due to that being what Raven found out to be a "created body" born of Road's imagination, he could see enough to discern the crackle and wavering hinting at…something hidden. Not exactly a lie, but not exactly a pure sentiment.

* * *

Loss of the Moon

* * *

After a brief back-and-forth, Road finally huffed and floated back over by Tyki's side. The man himself stood up.

"So I thought. You got to be evil to have fun. You know, Shounen, I'm a bit self-conscious because of you. I had orders to exterminate you and capture my nephew. Right now, I'm supposed to be watching over the kid. Him being around a bunch of exorcists obviously reflects badly of me. And I can it in your eyes, Shounen. You seriously will try and exterminate me, won't you? What an interesting look to see on such a young face."

A Teez flapped over and landed on Lenalee. Without hesitation, Allen stabbed the golem through with a claw.

"Tyki Mikk…may I tell you something as well? So far, you've attacked me, tried to get rid of my Innocence and kill me. That's understandable. However,… you have also kidnapped my little brother whom I swore to always protect and endangered my comrades' lives through this "game" of yours." Allen leaned in closer on the table. "If you try to lay even one more finger on my comrades, my friends, or my _family_ …I truly will try and kill you."

In all their time as brothers, Raven never saw or felt this level of killing intent from _Allen._ From Red, almost all the time when someone threatened the younger child. It was actually kind of nostalgic and heartwarming.

But there was no more time to reminisce about those days. Allen flung himself across the table, Raven following suit only a moment after he registered his older brother's brand of recklessness.

Claws scraped against one shield, while Raven's swipe from above was rebuffed and pushed back.

"Nocturne, you should really leave this to your elders," Tyki sneered.

"No thanks!" the teen replied as he flapped overhead. He couldn't get in close or effectively make a mark against those shields, so he did the next best thing: he shredded the nearby Teez with wing and feather alike. Maybe Tyki was right about this battle being between him and Allen, but Raven would be damned if he couldn't even the playing field a bit.

"My, my I do wonder what is going through those heads of yours. Do you feel happy? Excited to finally get a chance to kill me? Do you feel the thrill like you got when you beat me at cards, Shounen?

Or how about you, Nocturne? Don't you care that your going to lose a member of your family?"

"To quoth the Tyki, perhaps," Raven coolly replied. "I consider you both members of my family, one of blood and one of choice. However, if I must choose…well, I knew you for, what? A few days? Red accepted me and provided me shelter. Allen was there for me, and I for him these last several years. Personally, I wouldn't call the Black Order home but rather home is wherever Allen is. How would you decide if you were me?"

"Guess it's good I'm not," Tyki smirked. "And you, Shounen?"

Allen didn't sneer, didn't smile, didn't show any strong emotion except one. "It's sad," he finally said. "When we all first met, you held yourself aloof from the world's problems, had friends you cared about, and made jokes. You had the traits of a human and held humanity. Yet, here we are now. I would have been happier if this had just been a game of poker where no one had to die."

Again, the angel known as Allen stepped forward to make everyone feel tiny inside. But, it was hard to deny such softly spoken and kindly said words.

The moment was broken by Tyki who didn't seem to care about such flowery things. A shudder went through Raven's body as he watched a swarm of Teez flutter out of Tyki's body. Wings sweeping far back, he called out, " **Dark Skies: Shining**!"

" **Crown Clown Belt!** "

What Raven's feathers didn't pin to the ground was blocked by the white sash.

A yell distracted the two exorcists.

"Lavi?!"

Raven yelled indignantly as Tyki took advantage to try and attack Allen who shielded with Crown Clown. They broke apart, and Tyki surprised Allen by walking onto the air until he stood right by the young Sage.

The ability Choose was pain to counter, Raven thought as Allen had to go to Tyki to continue their fight less he become a sitting duck for the Teez.

Raven refused to make this fight any easier as he divebombed the evolved Teez attempting to surround Allen.

"Raven…you shouldn't have to fight Tyki," huffed Allen.

Raven demurred, "I'm not fighting Tyki. I'm fighting his Teez, don't you see?"

"Then stay out of the way, little raven!" warned Tyki Mikk as he dashed past the winged-exorcist to drive Allen out of the citadel.

Lavi was left fighting Road, a Noah Allen was more uncertain of than Tyki Mikk. But, the whitetette knew he had to trust his fellow exorcist could handle this on his own, could protect their friends against the sadistic Noah girl.

Because right now, Allen needed every bit of confidence he could muster on top of Red's battle smarts to fight the Noah man trying to tear his Innocence apart once more. White cloth lashed onto the man's arm to allow Allen a brief moment to surprise the Noah. Tyki managed to get up his pentagram-shaped shield in time, though.

There was nothing but water below, so Crown Clown extended out to keep Allen steady high above the blue depths. Tyki Mikk's Choose allowed the Noah to simply land atop the surface.

 _But why on the water when he could still walk on air?_

Darkness suddenly darted out from under him. Dozens of large Teez flew out to surround him, dark energy beams preparing to fire.

" **Lunar Flare**!"

Feathers danced around the white-haired exorcist before being set alight and blasted out at the Teez. When the fires dimmed down, the Walker brothers were back-to-back.

"Just in time, right, Allen?" Raven chuckled, eyes glinting and sharp as they discretely surveyed their surroundings for more targets.

"Get in here!"

Allen pulled the other exorcist under Crown Clown's cape as he swirled it around to take out the Teez darting out from under the water.

"I have to say, that looks like more of full body of armor, doesn't? Shounen, rather than a clown, the ways of a white demon fit you much better? As for Raven, you remind me of some dark angel about to rain down a fiery judgement," remarked Tyki Mikk.

Raven unconsciously tucked in his wings as he used Allen's cape to steady himself in the air. Tyki's aura…it began to warp and grow malevolently, the blackness even deeper than before.

"I'll admit…this whole battle has my blood rushing. With this hand of mine, I'll break that Innocence once more!" declared Tyki Mikk, whites turning black and crackling energy emitting from his body.

"Sorry, Raven."

"Wha-?"

Crown Clown wrapped around the teen and flung him right back into the tower with a crash.

 _Allen, you idiot!_ Raven tossed off the remains of the table he half-destroyed, wings ruffled but not badly damaged. Before he could fling himself back in the air, someone else crashed, slamming into the strange dice-shaped box containing Chaozii and Lenalee. He vaguely registered Lavi kneeling on the ground frozen, all his attention centered on the white-haired teen with one arm beginning to crumble.

"Allen-!" he screamed.

"Don't worry so much, Nocturne," Tyki chuckled darkly. "It's not like I killed the boy." _Yet._

The blood Allen coughed up didn't really help support Tyki's claim.

Lenalee shouted from within her confines that Allen had to be more careful because the Innocence was also a part of Allen's body. Harm to it was harm to Allen.

Tyki canted his head to the side. "Hey, Shounen, why do look like that? You can't be glad I injured our Innocence so easily."

Allen's aura…it was still so bright and determined, not a hint of fear or despair despite the state of his Innocence or himself.

"Tyki Mikk, do you think Innocence is all that is to an Exorcist? To you, we mere humans are weak. Subpar. That so long as our anti-akuma weapons, the Innocence, is destroyed, we won't be any sort of threat afterwards because we are simple _mere_ humans to the Millennium Earl and the Noah Clan." Allen struggled to fully stand but he did stand back up again. "But your true opponents are those very same _mere_ humans. The Innocence chose us, chose to give us power. But…why do you think they chose humans? It is in the end, we humans who decide what to do with this power. And we choose to fight. When you fight an exorcist, you fight the human and their heart longing to protect those most precious to them."

Raven's eyes widened as the crystal of Innocence flared a brilliant emerald. The pulse matched the glow of Allen's human aura below it. _This is…!_

"My heart is tied to the Innocence. So long as the vessel, this body, survives I will continue to be an exorcist. Everyone is counting on me, and I shall take their hopes in vain. What is most important to me…is to continue to exist in this world for their sakes!"

What happened next made Raven want to double-check his eyes. No illusion should affect him. And yet…something like an illusion flashed as the power from the Innocence crescendo 'ed. Raven thought he saw the Innocence tear into Tyki Mikk through sheer pressure alone. In the next moment, he was fine.

Tyki's eyes glazed. _Did he see that too?_ Raven wondered uneasily. Even he felt wary of Allen's growing powers. _Or…is it because of the dark matter flowing through me like the Innocence?_

"This is simply the truth, Tyki Mikk. You cannot break down my Crown Clown. You underestimate us mere humans way too much," Allen finished, Innocence perfectly restored.

The light in Tyki's eyes shifted.

 _Something…_

He grinned and started to cackle.

… _bad is going to happen!_

"Alright, alright!" chuckled the Noah. "I see now. You say you and the Innocence are connected? That I can't break it down? How arrogant you are! Fine. If I kill the boy, then the Innocence will die with him, right?

"Road?" Raven whispered to the Lolita hovering above them all, mirroring Lero's query. A spinning image appeared right behind Tyki Mikk, a pentagram encircled several times with the innermost band filled with crosses. The black streaks in the Noah's aura coalesced into a solid ring.

"Tyki snapped," Road simply answered, dark matte energy gathering around her.

The world around Raven blinked away, the last thing he heard was Tyki Mikk shouting "Reject".

 _If Choose determined what was solid or not…what did Reject do?_

He found himself suddenly in the air, wings snapping open on instinct as he felt gravity reclaim him. To the side he saw Road using Lero like a witch's broom, dice with Chaozii and Lenalee safely inside, and another box with Lavi within it.

Below where they just were, a black sphere sat, winds and chaotic energy whirling around it.

"So…what in the name of God is that?" croaked Raven, as he fluttered in place, wingbeats a touch unsteady. "Is _that_ what happens when Uncle Tyki snaps? Road? Road! …Road-neesan?"

That finally got the Noah's attention. "Oh, Raven-pon. Sorry I couldn't warn you, but we all needed to get out of there fast. As the Noah of Pleasure, Tyki is given the right to Choose for all of creation. Right now, it looks like he rejected the air and created an vacuum. No one caught in there can breathe except for Tyki. Furthermore, prolonged exposure will eventually destroy Allen's body if he doesn't run out of air first."

"In other words, Tyki Mikk created void. Something almost similar to a black hole but not as instantly destructive," Raven stated flatly.

Road must have seen something in Raven's expression as she was next to him the next moment, hand gripping one of his wings and dragging over to stand on Lero. For a little girl, Raven could feel how her fingers nearly crush the delicate wing bones – or whatever it was underlying the structure of his Innocence.

"Raven, don't. You won't be able to breathe, either. And your Innocence is not nearly powerful enough to break through anyways. You'll just force Tyki to kick you out himself. Then, I'll lock you up in my dream world, so you can't hurt yourself again, and you won't like that at all," warned the Noah girl. "Just wait until Tyki is finish."

They could hear Tyki monologuing from up here.

"…in the end, humans have no say how they die when they lose. That naivety and concern, I can feel it bound up in that youth of yours. Fear it? Hardly. It just makes me sick to my stomach. Listen up, Shounen, I will kill you when I please," drawled the Noah. "Be broken down entirely by my hands."

Above the scene of devastation, Road murmured, "Allen? Can't you do it? Can you still win?"

Raven clenched his hands as he hoarsely whispered under his breath. "Nii-san…if you are the exor- no, the _survivor_ I know you are, then don't give up! Don't let anyone dictate your life, be it the adults who disparaged us, Cross who made our lives hell, or even the ones who hold our lives so casually at stake, don't resign yourself to their words! We forge our own paths, remember?" _Please, Red, Allen, whoever you call yourself brother, don't leave me alone!_

* * *

Renewal of the Moon

* * *

Pressure. And nothing. Allen felt his body twist in on itself, felt his organs flail at the drastic environmental change. He couldn't breathe.

Tyki Mikk…that was who was approaching. Allen could see him speaking to him, but he couldn't hear anything. No air, no anything. You can't talk in a vacuum. Blood spurted from his mouth. His body was seizing up, forced to curl on itself. He tried to activate but nothing. The pressure of the void was too much for his body.

 _Is…is this how it all ends?_

…

… _n…_

… _no…_

… _No…!_

… _NO!_

 _I won't die! Not yet! There are things I still need to do!_

 _(Why do you exist?)_

 _To defeat the Noah Tyki Mikk…no. I don't live to take away lives. Rather…I want to live to because there are_ people _waiting for me, depending on me. Just as I depend on them._ Images flashed: the countless people he saved, Krory, Lavi, Lenalee, Komui, the akuma… _I want to live…so I may become a savior for both humans and akuma._

Allen gripped his left arm. _Innocence! Listen to my heart! To escape this vacuum, I need power! Power great enough to overcome the Noah Tyki Mikk's power. This is not where I'll die! So what if I can't activate as I do normally? That means I need more strength! A new sort of power! Let my synchronization level rise to meet my desires. Make a weapon, so I may use it to protect the world with Crown Clown!_

His concentration nearly slipped as Tyki Mikk phased through his body with Choose. _No! Don't hesitate anymore. You still have time! FOCUS! A little more…just a little more_ pled Allen.

Tyki Mikk's eyes widened as light suffused the exorcist's body. The blinding rays forced the Noah back.

… _seems I've uncaged something dangerous_ Tyki acknowledge with maybe the smallest tinge of fear as the power of the cursed Innocence surged all around Allen Walker.

Allen's eyes slitted, his mind concentrated on one thing, and not on the Noah he had driven away from himself.

 _My left arm for the akuma…and my right arm for the humans. Back then…didn't I decide to bring salvation to both? I will purify the akuma so their souls may be freed. I will protect the humans so they may never know the despair of dark matter. Crown Clown…we are exorcist and human, working as one body to save them all._ On instinct, Allen grabbed his right arm.

It transformed. Allen revealed a great broadsword, white edged in black with a black cross stretched across the middle of the blade.

Raven's neck nearly cracked with how quickly his head came up in surprise. Allen's fading colors of green Innocence and the aurora of a living human flared suddenly. Green flashed into the bold colors of emerald and edged with a broad stripe of white.

Everyone gasped as the whirling sphere cleaved into half, as if cut from within. Once the light faded, they saw Tyki Mikk being blown back across the floor.

"Now, that's was surprising," Tyki Mikk huffed. "I must admit, I didn't expect something like that to happen. Not at all. I really did wake up something no good at all, didn't I?"

"Allen?"

The smoke cleared. Allen stood tall, his left arm missing, no changed. His right hand clutched a giant sword emanating the pure aura of Innocence. The alternating ribbons of white and green Raven remembered seeing by one other Innocence: his master's own anti-akuma weapon.

 _Allen…you did it. You've evolved your weapon past Critical Point Break. You're at the rank of general-class Accommodator._ Raven didn't feel more proud than at this moment.


End file.
